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Roadmap to aSustainable WasteManagement FutureWaste Diversion Strategies in the Unincorporated Communities of
Los Angeles County, Throughout the Region, and at County
Operations
October 2014
Prepared by:
County of Los Angeles Department of Public WorksEnvironmental Programs Division900 South Fremont AvenueAlhambra, CA 91803www.CleanLA.comwww.DPW.LACounty.gov
In partnership with:
Board of SupervisorsChief Executive OfficeCounty Sheriff’s DepartmentDepartment of Beaches and HarborsCounty Fire DepartmentDepartment of Health ServicesInternal Services DepartmentDepartment of Parks and RecreationDepartment of Public HealthDepartment of Public WorksDepartment of Regional PlanningCounty Arts CommissionCounty Office of SustainabilitySanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................ 3Board Motion ....................................................................................................................................................................................3Focus Areas........................................................................................................................................................................................3Strategies............................................................................................................................................................................................4Roadmap.............................................................................................................................................................................................5Interdepartmental Sustainable Waste Management Future Working Group.............................................................6
BACKGROUND................................................................................................................................... 7The State of Waste in 2014...........................................................................................................................................................7County Unincorporated Communities......................................................................................................................................8Regional/Countywide ....................................................................................................................................................................9County Operations...........................................................................................................................................................................9Alignment with Current County Priorities........................................................................................................................... 10
PRIORITY ISSUES ...........................................................................................................................12Facilitating Sustainable Practices............................................................................................................................................ 12Local Green Business and Market Development................................................................................................................ 13Waste Prevention and Source Reduction ............................................................................................................................. 13Product Stewardship/Extended Producer Responsibility ............................................................................................. 14Organic Waste Management ..................................................................................................................................................... 15Conversion Technologies........................................................................................................................................................... 18Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste ...................................................................................................................... 19Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris ........................................................................................................................ 20Resource Recovery Centers....................................................................................................................................................... 20Emergency Management and Regional Debris Management Planning...................................................................... 21Assessment and Evaluation....................................................................................................................................................... 21Outreach and Education............................................................................................................................................................. 23
OUR SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT FUTURE ...........................................................24
THE ROADMAP - FOCUS AREAS, STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES......................................28
COUNTY UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES ....................................................................................................... 28Strategy 1: Programs and Services ......................................................................................................................................... 28Strategy 2: Measuring Results.................................................................................................................................................. 31Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................... 33Strategy 4: Outreach and Education....................................................................................................................................... 34
REGIONAL/COUNTYWIDE .................................................................................................................................... 36Strategy 1: Programs and Services ......................................................................................................................................... 36Strategy 2: Measuring Results.................................................................................................................................................. 38Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................... 39Strategy 4: Outreach and Education....................................................................................................................................... 40
COUNTY OPERATIONS ......................................................................................................................................... 41Strategy 1: Programs and Services ......................................................................................................................................... 41Strategy 2: Measuring Results.................................................................................................................................................. 43Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................... 44Strategy 4: Outreach and Education....................................................................................................................................... 45
CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS..................................................................................................47
APPENDICESAppendix A: DefinitionsAppendix B: Existing Sustainability Efforts and County ProgramsAppendix C: Policy and Program Options County Unincorporated Communities
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Executive Summary
On April 22, 2014, the Board of Supervisors adopted a motion directing the development of aRoadmap to achieve a Sustainable Waste Management Future for the County unincorporatedcommunities. The Board directed the Department of Public Works to prepare the Roadmap incoordination with the Chief Executive Office (CEO); the Office of Sustainability; and theDepartments of Regional Planning, Internal Services, Public Health, Health Services, and theSheriff’s; and in consultation with the County Sanitation Districts. Accordingly, the SustainableWaste Management Future Working Group (Working Group) was formed to collectivelydevelop the Roadmap. The Working Group determined that in addition to unincorporatedcommunities, the Board should consider planning for two other focus areas:Regional/Countywide and County Operations.
The Working Group identified four broad strategies for the three focus areas: (1) Programsand Services, (2) Measuring Results, (3) Facilities and Infrastructure, and (4) Outreach andEducation. These four strategies establish a framework for the implementation of specificinitiatives associated with the County Unincorporated Communities’ residential and commercialsectors, the Regional/Countywide infrastructure, and County operations, which include County-owned and/or operated facilities and offices as well as County-sponsored events.
The County Unincorporated Communities have already achieved and surpassed California’s 50percent waste diversion mandate. Nevertheless, landfill space in Los Angeles County isdecreasing and regulatory drivers are leading the County to initiate a comprehensive plan for awaste free future. The County must be proactive and develop innovative policies andprocedures for managing waste that further reduce the County’s reliance on landfills. To beSustainable, we must be able to meet our current needs without compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their needs. Achieving a sustainable waste management futuretakes a fundamentally new approach, which involves placing a greater emphasis on maximizingthe benefits and use of materials over disposal. This in turn transforms waste from a liabilityinto a resource, and creates a new vision to significantly reduce, and someday, eliminate waste.
The new, sustainable approach involves rethinking the manner in which the County approacheswaste management. It also means rethinking what is characterized as waste and whichmaterials might be suitable for reuse and recycling. A Traditional Waste Hierarchy (Figure 1)seeks to implement waste reduction measures, reuse practices, recycling and compostingtechniques, and waste-to-energy processing to handle a large portion of the typical wastestream. Even when this is done effectively, however, a large volume of waste is still disposed atlandfills. By inverting the Traditional Waste Hierarchy and establishing a New WasteManagement Paradigm (Figure 2), a greater emphasis is placed on maximizing the benefits anduse of materials over disposal. This creates a new vision to significantly reduce, and someday,eliminate waste. As a result, an increasing amount of materials previously characterized aswaste will be reduced, reused, or recycled, thereby minimizing the volume of materialsremaining for disposal. An effective shift to the New Waste Paradigm for each of the three
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focus areas, as well as for the four strategies and specific initiatives that are targeted forimplementation, is a key guiding principle of the Roadmap.
Figure 1 Figure 2
The intent of the Roadmap is to guide the County in implementing the four strategies andsupporting initiatives to maximize the recovery of products, materials, and energy from wastethat would otherwise be disposed of at landfills. In doing so, the County hopes to achieve thefollowing intermediate and long-term disposal reduction targets:
80 percent diversion from landfills by 2025
90 percent diversion from landfills by 2035
95+ percent diversion from landfills by 2045
Under each of the focus area strategies, the Working Group identified specific recommendedinitiatives, which will need to be further expanded in detailed implementation plans. Since thepurpose of the Roadmap is to provide general strategies for the County to achieve a sustainablewaste management future, the recommended initiatives identified in the Roadmap are notintended to be all-inclusive; and while some can be acted on right away, others will beimplemented over a longer timeframe.
The Working Group recommends that, upon approval of the Roadmap by the Board, the Countyinitiate a stakeholder process that will vet each of the initiatives from this Roadmap and solicitadditional suggestions and feedback from residents, businesses, public agencies, the wasteindustry, environmental organizations, and any other interested stakeholders. We recommenddeveloping comprehensive and detailed implementation plans with a budget, timeline, andstaffing plan as appropriate for each focus area. Sharing the Roadmap will also allow otherentities to develop their own plans and strategies to reduce waste generation and disposal.
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Introduction
Board Motion
On April 22, 2014, the Board adopted a motion directing Public Works, in coordination with the
CEO; the Office of Sustainability; the Departments of Regional Planning, Internal Services, Public
Health, Health Services, and the Sheriff’s; and in consultation with the County Sanitation
Districts, to establish a Working Group to develop a Roadmap for the Unincorporated
Communities of the County to achieve a Sustainable1 Waste Management Future. The motion
directed Public Works to submit the Roadmap, including recommended strategies and disposal
reduction targets, to the Board within six months.
Focus Areas
The Working Group determined that given the County’s solid waste management
responsibilities, including oversight for disposal capacity and regional diversion programs, a
truly sustainable waste management system by necessity should encompass more than the
unincorporated communities that are interspersed throughout the County. Therefore, a
broader Regional/Countywide concept was developed. Additionally, it was essential to
consider the footprint of County operations at both the unincorporated area and
Regional/Countywide level. This resulted in three recommended focus areas: (1) County
Unincorporated Communities, (2) Regional/Countywide, and (3) County Operations.
Under State law (Assembly Bill 939, 1989, as amended), each County is responsible for
identifying a minimum of 15 years of estimated disposal capacity on a countywide basis.
Providing regional leadership on sustainability is important to assist the County in continuing to
assure the long-term waste disposal needs of the County. To account for population and
economic growth as well as diminishing landfill capacity over time, implementation of effective
policies aimed at reducing waste generation and boosting diversion from landfills is critical to
meeting this goal. Since the Unincorporated Communities account for only ten percent of the
County’s total population, encouraging other jurisdictions and public agencies to make use of
the recommendations developed in this Roadmap will further reduce Countywide waste
disposal, and thereby reduce the need for future regional disposal capacity.
It is also important to improve coordination between County departments for waste reduction
and recycling programs, clearly identify roles and responsibilities, and promote a consistent
message in County operations, where feasible. In this way, the County can demonstrate
sustainable practices at County operations and provide a model for County constituents.
1Roadmap terms are defined in Appendix A: Definitions
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Strategies
The Roadmap’s focus areas include strategies and initiatives to reduce waste and divert
material from landfills. The initiatives include a mix of “upstream” activities that identify ways
to keep materials out of the waste stream entirely and “downstream” activities that sustainably
manage materials that are currently going to landfills. Another critical strategy involves
outreach and education related to creating a sustainable waste management future. The
strategies also provide methodologies to measure the results of the programs and services,
facility and infrastructure improvements, and outreach and education opportunities. The four
strategies of the Roadmap are:
Strategy 1: Programs and Services – Develop, enhance, and expand high-quality programs
and services to provide for solid waste management needs while striving to reduce the
amount of waste generated and disposed of at landfills.
Quality programs and services are essential components to reducing waste. The County has
initiated and maintains a number of highly successful and award-winning waste reduction,
recycling, composting, conversion, and special waste programs and services. These
programs and services have helped the County unincorporated communities meet and
surpass the State’s 50 percent waste diversion mandate. In order to end dependence on
landfilling in the long-term and thereby ensuring a sustainable waste management future,
the Roadmap’s initiatives need to be enhanced and expanded while simultaneously
identifying opportunities to develop new programs and services. The programs and services
initiatives will be broken down and discussed for each of the focus areas described above.
Strategy 2: Measuring Results – Use benchmarking, goal-setting, monitoring, and
evaluation to measure the effectiveness of programs and services, facilities and
infrastructure, and outreach and education in order to strive for continuous improvement
and encourage innovation.
Measurement is a key to success. It can provide understanding of how effectively andefficiently programs and services, facilities and infrastructure, and outreach/education aremeeting waste reduction objectives. A series of initiatives designed to integrate bothevaluation and continuous improvement mechanisms will be recommended for each focusarea.
Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure – Incorporate sustainability practices and develop
more advanced waste management facilities and infrastructure in a fiscally, socially, and
environmentally responsible manner.
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An efficient waste diversion system is essential to implementing sustainability practices and
meeting the State’s 75 percent “recycling” goal. In order to divert hundreds of thousands of
tons of materials currently going to landfills each year, new infrastructure and facility
improvements will need to be implemented to collect, process, and divert this material to
beneficial uses. This will require identifying opportunities for improvements of existing and
proposed facilities and infrastructure. Additional infrastructure will also require sustainable
funding streams identified by local governments and businesses, and ultimately require
support from customers, ratepayers, and taxpayers in order to be successful. Each focus
area has unique facility and infrastructure challenges and requirements, which will be
highlighted by the recommended initiatives in the Roadmap.
Strategy 4: Outreach and Education – Incorporate proactive and appropriate
communication tools in order to engage and empower stakeholders and further promote a
sustainable waste management future.
Education and communication are critical elements of a successful endeavor to achieve a
waste-free future. Educating diverse communities will require an innovative message in
multiple languages. Additionally, it is critical to educate and engage the business
community, the waste industry, and other stakeholders as well as County employees in
order to implement sustainable practices. The initiatives recommended for education and
outreach will provide a system of continuing outreach and education.
Each focus area contains elements of all four strategies. Within each strategy the Working
Group identified specific recommended initiatives that will be further reviewed, assessed, and
expanded in more comprehensive implementation plans. To achieve a sustainable waste
management future, the identified initiatives were designed to build on the success of existing
and proposed programs and services, integrate both evaluation and continuous improvement
mechanisms, support the development of necessary facilities and infrastructure, and provide
effective public outreach and education.
Roadmap
The Roadmap lays out the general framework for the strategies and initiatives that the County
can implement to maximize the recovery of products, materials, and energy from waste that
would otherwise be disposed of at landfills and actuates sustainable waste management
practices, in order to reuse and divert materials that are currently discarded for their highest
and best purpose, such as the creation of renewable energy. Upon approval by the Board of
this Roadmap, implementation plans will be developed for each initiative, which will
incorporate specific details on feasibility, costs, proposed funding, and timelines.
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Interdepartmental Sustainable Waste Management Future Working Group
The Interdepartmental Sustainable Waste Management Future Working Group was initiallycomprised of representatives from the following County departments and special districts:
Chief Executive Office
County Sheriff’s Department
Department of Health Services
Internal Services Department
Department of Public Health
Department of Public Works
Department of Regional Planning
County Office of Sustainability
Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
In consideration of facilities that they operate and/or assist in managing and their role in
implementing sustainability initiatives, the Department of Beaches and Harbors, County Fire
Department, Department of Parks and Recreation, and County Arts Commission were also
invited to participate in the Working Group. Representatives from a number of Board offices
also participated and contributed to the efforts of the Working Group.
Public Works is the lead County agency advising the Board on waste management issues. It is a
regional leader in resource conservation and environmental protection. Public Works and the
other members of the Working Group met monthly to discuss and develop the Roadmap within
the timelines established by the Board. In addition, the Working Group created four
subcommittees based on the four strategies to develop the recommended initiatives for
incorporation into each of the Roadmap’s focus areas.
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Background
The State of Waste in 2014
Approximately 2.8 million tons of trash is generated annually in the unincorporated
communities of the County. Approximately Seventy percent of these materials are diverted
from landfill disposal through a number of existing waste reduction, reuse, and recycling
programs. These programs are summarized in Appendix B.
Los Angeles County is home to a diverse and complex system of solid waste infrastructure.
Given that the forthcoming revised Los Angeles County Countywide Siting Element2 extensively
addresses the current state of disposal options both in and out of the County, further discussion
of disposal will not be addressed in this Roadmap. This Roadmap is a fundamentally different
approach that describes visionary goals for keeping materials out of the waste stream in the
first place and identifying solutions for recovering resources and commodities from the
materials that must be managed in a sustainable waste management system.
The solid waste industry in California continues to undergo many changes. A number of drivers
are prompting these changes, including diminishing landfill capacity within the County and new
legislative mandates from the State. In addition, there is a strong desire to continuously
improve the quality of life and preserve the environment for current communities and future
generations.
It is worth noting two of the State’s landmark environmental laws that have a significant impact
on the current and future State of our waste management system. The first is Assembly Bill 32
(2006), which requires every sector of the economy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
to 1990 levels by 2020. A substantial portion of the materials disposed in landfills are organic,
and when organic material decomposes in landfills, methane, a potent GHG, is generated.
Landfills, as one of the largest potential anthropogenic sources of methane, are under
increased scrutiny to reduce GHG emissions. As such, the State is moving towards regulatory
and legislative measures to reduce the disposal of organics in landfills. In addition, Assembly
Bill 341, adopted in 2011, established a policy goal that not less than 75 percent of the waste
generated in the State be source reduced, recycled, or composted by 2020.
These policy drivers will change the way in which solid waste has been traditionally managed.
Since the State has not provided many tangible programs or mechanisms through which to
implement these new policy changes, the County of Los Angeles is taking the initiative to
2A copy of the current draft Countywide Siting Element can be downloaded and reviewed at
http://dpw.lacounty.gov/sitingelement/
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prepare for the impending changes at the local level by anticipating the implications,
developing proposals that are feasible, and collaborating with a multidisciplinary stakeholder
base to vet the proposals.
County Unincorporated Communities
More than 1 million people call the unincorporated communities of Los Angeles County home.
The County Unincorporated Communities comprise 114 communities spread over more than
65 percent of the County’s area – approximately 2,650 square miles – and represent
approximately ten percent of the total population in Los Angeles County. It also represents a
culturally and ethnically diverse community. The Board is the governing body responsible for
establishing policies and regulations for the County unincorporated communities.
In the County Unincorporated Communities, the County provides solid waste collection services
through a diverse and complex system that includes:
Residential Waste Collection Franchise System: Public Works administers 21 exclusive
residential waste collection franchises that serve approximately 600,000 residents. Each
franchise waste hauler provides waste collection, recycling, and green waste services to
customers under an agreement with the County.
Garbage Disposal Districts: Public Works administers seven Garbage Disposal Districts that
provide waste collection, recycling, and green waste services to approximately 380,000
residents and businesses within the Districts. The services are provided by private waste
haulers under contract with the County. Property owners within the Districts pay for these
services through an assessment on the property tax rolls.
Non-Exclusive Commercial Waste Collection Franchise System: Public Works administers a
commercial franchise system that provides waste collection and recycling services to over
20,000 businesses and multifamily residential complexes outside the Districts. The services
are provided by 46 private waste haulers under a nonexclusive franchise agreement with the
County.
Open Market System: Approximately 100,000 residents of County Unincorporated
Communities in the northern portion of Los Angeles County continue to operate under an
open market system for waste collection. Under this system, residents contract directly with
the waste haulers for waste collection, recycling, and/or green waste services.
Self-Haul: Residents and businesses also have the option to haul their own waste directly to
publicly or privately owned processing and disposal facilities. Certain categories of
businesses, such as landscapers, are more likely to self-haul.
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The materials collected by the private waste haulers under each of the above collection systems
are taken to various publicly and privately owned processing and disposal facilities. Currently,
waste haulers have the discretion to determine which facilities to direct the waste and
materials to, and their decisions are made primarily based on economics. The County also
offers curbside recycling, green waste collection, and many other innovative programs to
encourage the four R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink), as well as regulate solid waste
management and disposal operations at solid waste facilities in the County Unincorporated
Communities.
Recognizing the largest contributors to the solid waste disposal system for the County
Unincorporated Communities will help identify where new programs and services, facilities and
infrastructure, and outreach and education are required. The County will develop a more
comprehensive understanding of their waste management practices as they relate to County
Unincorporated Communities, evaluate options for waste diversion, assess program costs, and
evaluate how options are implemented. The three aspects of sustainability - Environment,
Economy, and Society - will be applied to assess the feasibility of these new initiatives.
Regional/Countywide
Public Works, as the lead County agency advising the Board on regional waste management
issues, has a Countywide responsibility to oversee certain waste management programs. For
example, the County of Los Angeles operates the largest household hazardous/electronic waste
management program in the nation, and leads a nationally recognized research and
development program for state-of-the-art technologies to convert municipal solid waste into
electricity, green fuel, and other useful products. This has allowed the County to meet and
exceed the State’s 50 percent waste diversion mandate. The County is committed to providing
high-quality solid waste management services that enhance the quality of life for County
constituents and protects the environment and its resources. Therefore, the Roadmap contains
a discussion of strategies and initiatives that could be applied on a regional or Countywide
basis, including regional programs and services, facilities and infrastructure, and outreach and
education needs.
County Operations
The Working Group is recommending that the Board consider piloting sustainable programs
and services, facilities and operations, and outreach and education throughout County
operations, as well as at County-sponsored events. The County could identify and develop
effective pilot efforts focused on diverting waste from landfills while enhancing other
sustainability goals. Such efforts provide opportunities to demonstrate programs that may be
able to be implemented by the residents and businesses served throughout the County
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Unincorporated Communities, as well as provide case studies for other departments and
municipalities in the region. The following sections of the Roadmap describe the recommended
strategies and initiatives in greater detail, including programs and services, facility and
infrastructure improvements, measurement techniques, and outreach and education activities
for County departments to implement, thereby paving the way towards a sustainable waste
management future.
Alignment with Current County Priorities
The strategies identified in this Roadmap align closely with Los Angeles County’s adopted plans
and priorities, as well as other sustainability efforts, including (1) the Los Angeles County
General Plan Update; (2) the Los Angeles County Strategic Plan, Goal #2: Community Support
and Responsiveness; (3) the final draft Community Climate Action Plan; and (4) the Public
Works Strategic Plan.
1. As a long-range planning policy document, the Los Angeles County General Plan Update3
establishes future growth and land use development patterns for the County
Unincorporated Communities. The Draft General Plan contains goals and policies that
guide the provision of public services and facilities, including waste management in
conjunction with future growth and land use development. Specifically, the Draft
General Plan calls for “adequate disposal capacity and minimal waste and pollution.”4
The Roadmap is consistent with the Draft General Plan goals and policies pertaining to
waste management, as the Roadmap aims to minimize waste generation, enhance
diversion, and promote conversion technologies. Furthermore, the Draft General Plan
organizes the County into 11 Planning Areas, which make up the Planning Areas
Framework. The purpose of the Planning Area Framework is to provide a mechanism for
local communities to work with the County to develop plans that respond to their
unique and diverse character. The Roadmap will build on the Planning Areas Framework
established by the Draft General Plan to target public outreach efforts and waste studies.
2. The County Strategic Plan Goal #2, Strategic Initiative 5, Environmentally Sustainable
Practices identifies a specific focus area promoting net-zero waste in order to “Optimally
manage and reduce solid waste by diverting from waste stream and maximizing
recycling opportunities.”
3. The Final Draft of the County’s Community Climate Action Plan (July 2014) includes Goal
SW-1: “For the County’s unincorporated areas, adopt a waste diversion goal to comply
3At the time of preparation of this Roadmap, the proposed General Plan Update, also known as the Los Angeles
County General Plan 2035, was being reviewed and considered by the Regional Planning Commission.4
Goal PS/F 5, Chapter 13: Public Services and Facilities Element, Los Angeles County General Plan Revised PublicReview Draft, 7/10/2014.
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with all state mandates associated with diverting from landfill disposal at least 75% of
the waste by 2020.”
4. Public Works’ Strategic Plan identifies Sustainability as a key value, and under the Waste
Management Core Service Area, Public Works strives to “lead, inspire, and support
communities toward a healthy, waste-free future.”
Additionally, the Board established the County Office of Sustainability to respond to legislation,
regulation, and policy related to climate change and to serve as a central hub for coordination
of energy efficiency, conservation, and sustainability programs within the County, its facilities,
and the region.
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Priority Issues
Certain issues are a major focus of the Roadmap due to the proportion of the waste stream
potentially affected or the impacts those issues have on sustainability and the quality of life of
residents in the County. This section provides a context for the Focus Areas, Strategies, and
Initiatives described in the Roadmap with additional details regarding the impetus for the
Roadmap’s recommendations.
Facilitating Sustainable Practices
Cost and convenience are two of the most significant drivers of waste generation and disposal.
Easy access to affordable products and materials is good for the economy while inexpensive
and convenient curbside trash collection and free public trash receptacles have protected the
environment from dumping and littering. They have also made it easy to dispose materials that
might otherwise be put to productive use through reuse, recycling, composting, or conversion.
The County has made great progress in recycling and other waste diversion options; for
example the 3-bin system of trash collection that includes curbside recycling and green waste
collection is now nearly universal throughout the County Unincorporated Communities.
Nevertheless, the County can and should do more to make recycling at least as easy as
throwing something away.
Changing markets and new products make it difficult to be sure what discards are recyclable,
compostable, or must be disposed. A possible solution could be to implement a policy where
most materials collected at curbside are first processed at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
In this way, MRFs can adjust their processing to recycle more materials in the future as recovery
technology improves. Other alternative trash collection methods, such as reducing collection
frequency, adjusting the number of bins per customer, or implementing a volume- or weight-
based system for trash collection fees, are all options which have been implemented in other
jurisdictions to increase the diversion of waste.
Another challenge facing some recycling and waste diversion programs is an unsustainable
funding source, particularly those programs funded by the Countywide Solid Waste
Management Fee, which is assessed on waste disposed at landfills and transfer stations. This
means that as waste disposal decreases, fees collected and funding for diversion programs will
decrease proportionally. To avoid this reduction spiral, new incentives will need to be
identified to achieve waste reduction goals and the true cost of recycling will need to be
identified and addressed. The challenging reality is that increased processing of materials will
require additional funding. Ultimately, we must ensure adequate, sustainable funding is
available to support an effective regional waste management system.
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These changes cannot be considered lightly, as they can potentially have significant impacts on
residents, businesses, and waste management companies, including haulers and solid waste
facility operators. However, it is likely that such changes will be necessary to significantly
increase diversion of materials from disposal, especially in light of pending State legislation and
other factors which are already driving change. It is, therefore, crucial to conduct an evaluation
of the current waste collection system for possible changes and improvements before
implementing major changes to the current waste collection system. This Roadmap
recommends exploring the feasibility of all options with all interested stakeholders in a
thoughtful and transparent process and identifying the right combination of initiatives,
including changes in collection, processing, and funding, that will best align with the
sustainability goals of the County.
Local Green Business and Market Development
Additional materials pulled from the waste stream will result in more commodities for the
marketplace. Partnerships with State and local economic development organizations to
promote the development of recycling and remanufacturing businesses in the unincorporated
communities will help create new markets for recycled materials while also spurring job
creation and economic development. CalRecycle estimates California needs 44 million tons
worth of remanufacturing infrastructure in-State to sustainably manage recyclables. At
present, existing infrastructure is handling a little over 2 million tons of recyclable materials.5
There are a variety of materials that are remnants of advanced recycling methods and
conversion technologies, such as compost, crushed glass, aggregate, slag, and ash. Cost
effective and beneficial reuse options are not yet available on a local and widespread basis for
some of these materials. Opportunities may exist to create partnerships between County
facilities and local businesses that recover and reuse these materials, as part of the State’s
Recycling Market Development Zone program or other mechanisms.
Waste Prevention and Source Reduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) defines source reduction as activities
designed to reduce the volume or toxicity of waste generated, including the design and
manufacture of products with minimum toxic content, minimum volume of material, and/or a
longer useful life.6 Source reduction is fundamentally different from the other waste
management approaches. It is at the top of the County’s resource management hierarchy
because it is considered to be more effective and yield the highest benefits from an
52013 CalRecycle AB341 White Paper – Recycling, Reuse, and Remanufacturing
6USEPA, Source Reduction Program Potential Manual, http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/downloads/source.pdf
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environmental, economic, and social stand point. Source reduction preempts the need to
collect, process, and/or dispose of materials by preventing their generation up front.
A useful mechanism for preventing waste generation and improving sustainability within many
municipalities has been product bans and disposal bans. For example, in 2009 Los Angeles
County adopted an ordinance banning single-use plastic carryout bags at supermarkets,
pharmacies, and other stores. Although it took adjustment at first, customers quickly adapted
to using far more sustainable reusable carryout bags, keeping billions of single-use bags out of
the waste stream and from inadvertently becoming litter and harming our environment.7
Product Stewardship/Extended Producer Responsibility
Product Stewardship, also referred to as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), is a policy
approach in which manufacturers assume a shared responsibility for the impacts and
management costs of their products at the end of life. This shifts end-of-life management and
financial responsibilities from local government to the manufacturers and consumers of
products. This will require significant collaboration with the business community to explore
more innovative and efficient approaches in package manufacturing.
The growing trend of “lean operations” is showing that businesses can reduce the amount of
raw materials needed, which ultimately leads to decreased costs and waste reduction.
Manufacturers are also often able to manage the end-of-life impacts of their products much
more efficiently than local governments. For example, products could be carefully
disassembled by manufacturers to refurbish working parts in the manufacturing of other
products. In addition, providing a price signal8 creates an incentive to make improvements in
product design that “designs the waste out” so that products can be readily reused, repaired,
reconditioned, or recycled. In addition to the design of products, innovation in packaging has a
tremendous potential for improvement. For example, Walmart redesigned their footwear
packaging to reduce 400,000 pounds of solid waste in just 11 months, as well as decrease their
costs by 28 percent.9 To ensure a level playing field for businesses, California may need to pass
legislation that places greater emphasis on producer/manufacturer responsibility for the
environmental impact of certain products and their corresponding waste byproducts.
Encouraging EPR in manufacturing consumer products is crucial since approximately 75 percent
of our country’s waste stream comes from manufactured products – from common household
items, such as magazines, prepared food, or toys to household hazardous waste products like
7www.AboutTheBag.com
8Price signal is information conveyed via the price charged for a product
9http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/environment-sustainability/packaging
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electronics, fluorescent lights, batteries, paint, and pesticides10. Packaging represents about
65 percent of household trash and about a third of materials disposed at an average landfill,11
and out of every $10 spent buying goods, $1 (10 percent) is for packaging that is thrown away.
Boosting the percentage of packaging that is more efficient, reusable, and/or recyclable not
only reduces waste but could also reduce costs for manufacturers.
Furthermore, many of these materials contain toxic substances, such as heavy metals that
present a threat to public health and safety when improperly disposed. In 2006, universal
waste (such as fluorescent lights and batteries) was banned from California landfills, and in
2008 sharps (such as needles) were added to that list. However, local government solely
instituting product or disposal bans cannot address the issue of problematic materials.
Manufacturers should be encouraged to partner with local government on educating
consumers and other business manufacturers on alternative packaging options and providing
convenient collection options if there is to be success in diverting certain problematic materials
from the waste stream.
Organic Waste Management
In 2013, the County Unincorporated Communities sent approximately 764,000 tons of waste to
landfills.12 Based on the percentages determined from the County’s 2006 waste
characterization studies13 performed on the County Unincorporated Communities,
approximately 500,000 tons of that waste annually, equivalent to 1,631 tons per day (tpd),
would be classified as “organic waste” as listed in Table 1 below, excluding “other waste
material.” The “organic waste” accounts for over 66 percent of the entire unincorporated
communities’ wasted materials.
10California Product Stewardship Council, Model Staff Report (2/1/2013), http://www.calpsc.org
11UCLA Zero Waste Plan, July 2012
http://cms.ipressroom.com.s3.amazonaws.com/173/files/20125/UCLA_Zero_Waste_Plan_Final.pdf12
2013 Annual Report on the County unincorporated areas Source Reduction and Recycling Element13
Los Angeles County baseline waste characterization study, 2006
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Table 1: Waste Characterization for County Unincorporated Communities, 2013
Material Percentage Tons
Paper 20.4% 155,856
Leaves and Grass 5.3% 40,492
Prunings and Trimmings 3.0% 22,920
Branches and Stumps 1.7% 12,988
Lumber 10.3% 78,692
Food 16.7% 127,588
Other Organics 9.3% 71,052
Other Waste Material 33.3% 254,412
Total 100.0% 764,000
These categories of organic waste are classified as biogenic (originating from living organisms),
which is different from biodegradable organic waste, which is a subset of this category, as well
as nonbiogenic organic waste (e.g., plastics) that is exclusive of this “organics” category. The
biodegradable organic waste stream, consisting primarily of green waste and food waste,
amounts to roughly 27 percent of the entire waste stream. Food waste makes up a large
percentage of each of the commercial, multifamily, and single-family sectors’ waste streams,
and therefore, an important aspect in organic waste diversion. In the commercial sector, food
waste alone comprises as much as 23 percent of the waste stream. Diverting this volume of
material from landfill disposal is a formidable challenge to overcome, potentially necessitating
hundreds of millions of dollars in new infrastructure.
The State of California is committed to diverting organic waste from disposal. The 2014 AB 32
Scoping Plan Update includes the following provision:
“ARB [CA Air Resources Board] and CalRecycle will lead the development of
program(s) to eliminate disposal of organic materials at landfills. Options to be evaluated
will include: legislation, direct regulation, and inclusion of landfills in the Cap-and-Trade
Program. If legislation requiring businesses that generate organic waste to arrange for
recycling services is not enacted in 2014, then ARB, in concert with CalRecycle, will
initiate regulatory action(s) to prohibit/phase out landfilling of organic materials with the
goal of requiring initial compliance actions in 2016.”
This effort is channeled through AB 1826, legislation which requires a business that generates a
certain threshold of organic waste per week to arrange for organic waste “recycling services”
and requires local jurisdictions to implement an organic waste recycling program to divert
organic waste from landfills. This means a lot more organic waste will need to be managed and
processed in a different way.
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Green and food waste can be used to create energy through anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic
digestion uses naturally occurring microorganisms to break down organic materials and
produce biogas, a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. The biogas can be combusted to
produce renewable electricity, cleaned to pipeline natural gas standards, or further processed
into renewable natural gas fuel.14 Remaining residuals can be a feedstock for composting.
Unfortunately, there are currently no anaerobic digestion facilities in Los Angeles County that
are open to the public. According to the California Energy Commission, there are 132 biomass-
to-energy facilities in the entire State. This includes 22 digesters and 27 thermal biomass
facilities.
Existing green waste infrastructure is limited to chipping and grinding, small scale composting,
and transfer operations. The combined capacity of these operations in the County is only
3,783 tpd, which is far less than what is needed. Additional information about organics
processing facilities in the County can be found at the following link:
http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/swims/ShowDoc.aspx?id=450&hp=yes&type=PDF
Several jurisdictions, including the County, have investigated the feasibility of siting regional or
community-scale anaerobic digestion facilities. To manage the volume of waste discussed
above, it would take seven facilities the size of the new anaerobic digestion facility in San Jose
(250 tpd), which cost approximately $40 million to build. Concerns regarding high costs, waste-
shed restrictions, adequacy of available materials, collection infrastructure, environmental
impacts, and market availability for compost continue to be challenges in developing this
industry in the County. Despite these challenges, anaerobic digestion remains the most
widely-accepted conversion technology by environmental groups and California regulators.
Although AB 1826 requires businesses to separate organic waste and send it to “organics
recycling” facilities, there is insufficient funding available to develop the infrastructure needed
to process this waste. For instance, CalRecycle is launching a $30 million grant program, that
includes organics facilities as well as recycling facilities, as a competitive grant for the entire
state. Additional funding opportunities or incentives for infrastructure are absolutely crucial in
order to manage the substantial quantities of organic waste currently sent to disposal.
Another option to address food waste is the implementation of the Food Donation Recovery
Outreach Program (Food DROP). Some food waste is still edible, yet according to the
LA Regional Food Bank, 1.7 million people in Los Angeles County are struggling with not having
enough food. Public Works is developing Food DROP to simultaneously divert safe and clean
food from landfills and feed hungry low-income residents.
14Harvest Power, http://www.harvestpower.com/capabilities/technology/anaerobic-digestion/
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The Food DROP is a dynamic program to
match food donors (restaurants,
supermarkets, etc.) with receivers (food
banks, soup kitchens, nonprofits, etc.) in
the County, in an effort to feed hungry
people with the excess food that
businesses would otherwise dispose at
landfills. Through Food DROP, the County
would address the top two tiers in the U.S.
EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy: Source
Reduction and Feed Hungry People (see
Figure 4).
Food waste that cannot be shared through
Food DROP should be collected and
processed through anaerobic digestion
and/or composting facilities. Green materials used at County landfills for alternative daily cover
will need to be similarly managed.
Through the implementation process, the County intends to continue to engage potential
project developers and waste haulers in determining specific ways the County can advance the
development of sustainable anaerobic digestion projects in the region.
Conversion Technologies
Public Works is actively promoting the development of solid waste conversion technologies as a
way to diversify solid waste management practices. Now more than ever before, jurisdictions,
such as the County, are looking at waste as a resource rather than “trash.”
A few jurisdictions in California including San Jose, Sacramento, Perris, and Santa Barbara have
projects in development; however, the path to project development is fraught with many
challenges. Currently, the largest obstacle is a permitting process that is more costly, time
intensive, inconsistent, and confusing than necessary, largely due to out-of-date and even
inaccurate language in State statute and regulations. Over a dozen project developers are
interested in hosting projects in Los Angeles County, once regulations establishing a clear
permitting pathway are worked out.
The County believes that advancements in clean technology need to be reflected in State
statute and regulations to create a level playing field for project developers while protecting
public health and safety and the environment. Together with the California State Association of
Figure 4
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Counties, the County sponsored Senate Bill 498, authored by California State Senator Ricardo
Lara (D-33). This bill includes conversion technologies in the definition of biomass conversion.
Traditional biomass conversion has been limited to direct combustion of organic materials
(wood, lawn and garden clippings, agricultural waste, leaves, tree pruning, as well as
nonrecyclable paper) to generate heat and electricity. Adding conversion technologies to the
biomass definition allows for cleaner and more efficient technologies to be used in processing
these materials to create not just heat and electricity but also clean and renewable low-carbon
fuels. It is a very small but positive step forward in facilitating the development of conversion
technologies in California.
The County is recognized as a leader in evaluating and promoting the development of
conversion technologies, and continues to encourage the development of commercial scale
conversion technology projects within the County. The County will need to determine what
resources and support are necessary to help spur the establishment of both public and private
conversion technology facilities locally.
Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste
The County operates a substantial household hazardous waste (HHW) and electronic waste
(E-Waste) collection program. Through strategic partnerships, the County coordinates over
60 mobile events with participation from over 47,000 households each year, funds the
operation of nine permanent collection centers, and provides convenient additional drop-off
locations for batteries, sharps, and pharmaceuticals throughout the County. Approximately 11
million pounds of HHW and E-Waste15 are collected on an annual basis in the County of Los
Angeles excluding the City of Los Angeles, making this program the largest and most highly
regarded in the nation.
According to the U.S. EPA and County data, permanent collection centers require a larger
upfront investment than one-day collection, but they may reduce costs per participant in the
long run16, therefore the Working Group, and in particular Public Works as the administrator of
the Countywide HHW Program, views the addition of new permanent collection centers as a
high priority for County residents to provide the most convenient and cost-effective system for
providing residents opportunities to safely manage their HHW and E-Waste. In addition, HHW
and E-Waste are prime candidates for EPR policies, since they are more toxic, difficult to
manage, and cannot be disposed at traditional disposal facilities.
152013-2014 CalRecycle Form 303 Household Hazardous Waste Collection
16EPA Household Hazardous Waste Management “A Manual for One-Day Community Collection Programs,
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/pubs/manual/r92026.pdf
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Construction and Demolition Debris
Construction and demolition (C&D) debris consists of materials like lumber, drywall, metals,
masonry (brick, concrete, ceramics, plasters, etc.), carpet, plastics, pipe, rocks, dirt, paper,
cardboard, or green waste related to land development17. The Board adopted the C&D
Recycling and Reuse Ordinance on January 4, 2005. County Code Title 20.87 & 22.52 now
requires local C&D debris recycling for building, demolition, and grading permits in County
Unincorporated Communities. Projects must divert 50 percent (65 percent for specified
projects) of C&D debris generated and document compliance on completion. Given that,
roughly 26 percent (by weight) of the County’s total disposed tonnage is made up of C&D
material18, more can be done to ensure that C&D materials are kept out of landfills. Also, there
are a number of facilities that will process and divert C&D debris within the County, recovering
this material and offering it for beneficial activities within the County, and the rates to send this
material to such C&D processors is often lower than landfill disposal rates. As a result,
establishing higher minimum diversion rates for C&D materials will likely save project
developers money while benefiting the environment and the local economy. Private sector
participation will be critical in identifying ways to incentivize the recycling and reuse of C&D
materials.
Resource Recovery Centers
A significant portion of materials disposed in the unincorporated area of the County are from
self-haul customers at landfills and transfer stations. Resource Recovery Parks or Resource
Recovery Centers are places where materials can be dropped off for donation or buyback and
provides a place to co-locate synergistic diversion-related activities, including reuse, recycling,
composting, processing, manufacturing, and distribution. The Resource Recovery Center
concept has been evolving naturally at landfills and transfer stations. Examples of these
facilities can be found at the Cold Canyon Landfill in San Luis Obispo County; the City of
El Cerrito Recycling Center in the East Bay; and the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials
(CHaRM) in the City of Boulder, Colorado. These facilities have continued to provide additional
recycling opportunities for self-hauled loads. A Resource Recovery Park can make the landfill or
transfer station more sustainable by diversifying revenue, conserving capacity, and extending
the useful life of those facilities.
“Re-stores” are businesses that sell used or donated surplus building materials. The re-store
may be affiliated with a deconstruction entity that provides recovered building materials or
receive donations from builders, contractors, brokers, businesses, and/or households that are
17California Department of Resource Recycling and Recovery, http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/condemo/
18Los Angeles County baseline waste characterization study, 2006
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remodeling their facilities, such as homes, hotels, apartments, or office buildings. This is a great
way to put old but still useful cabinets, appliances, flooring, and other building materials to
good use and keep them out of landfills.
Emergency Management and Regional Debris Management Planning
The County’s unique geography makes it susceptible to various forms of natural disasters
including earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, mudflows, and tsunamis. These natural occurrences
have the potential to create large quantities of debris, which must be managed in order to
maintain public services during and immediately following an emergency. Public Works is
working with other County departments to develop the Operational Area (County, 88 cities, and
all special districts in the County) Debris Management Plan (DMP) to identify agency roles and
mechanisms to collect, stockpile, and recycle debris, to the extent feasible. It also ensures that
the removal process for the debris is conducted in an efficient, economical, and
environmentally beneficial manner while considering the safety of the public and personnel.
The DMP will be consistent with the existing policies and guidance provided by the County,
State, and Federal Emergency Management Agencies for removal and management of disaster-
related debris.
Assessment and Evaluation
Identifying the largest contributors to the waste disposal system will help shape whereresources and efforts are needed to achieve the County’s disposal reduction goals. This willenable the County to maximize short-term waste diversion while prospective strategies andinitiatives that will take longer to develop are being researched and developed, and appropriatefunds are pursued and secured.
Understanding the unique disposal characteristics of the various sectors of the economy is alsoimportant for the County on a continuous basis. Commercial, institutional, industrial,residential, multifamily, self-haul, and drop off are subsectors that identify where various wastestreams are generated and where existing and new programs could be initiated, expanded,modified, or eliminated. Each sector has unique waste management practices that need to beexamined to identify waste reduction opportunities and determine options for waste diversionprocessing.
The prevailing practices of local markets, and differences between various markets, are alsoimportant to consider in a county as large and diverse as the County. A starting point is tounderstand the proportion of waste from open market haulers, who are not required toprovide waste collection data, versus registered haulers, who are required to provide data.Recognizing the areas where the County has control of the waste stream, such as withinGarbage Disposal Districts or residential franchise areas, will assist in determining the level ofinfluence the County has in implementing new programs. Within each registered and
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unregistered hauling type, there will be a need to assess the types of waste sectors that arecaptured in the disposal stream.
Waste characterization studies are another tool for assessing and evaluating our wastediversion efforts. Waste characterization studies help determine how various sectors withinthe County are disposing of their waste and whether waste diversion programs are beingutilized. Waste characterization assessments can be conducted for subsectors, such asbusinesses, multifamily residents, and single-family residences. Public Works is in the processof initiating a major waste characterization study for the County Unincorporated Communities,which is projected to be completed by 2016. Public Works will examine the solid wastecomposition and generation rates, and the highest and best use alternatives for diverting themajor components of the waste stream. A large-scale study may be needed every five years,with smaller individual assessments on a more frequent basis, including waste surveys atCounty facilities. The most recent Countywide baseline waste characterization study19 wasconducted in 2006. Since that time, new regulations have been passed that affected currentwaste characteristics, including Assembly Bill 341 which requires mandatory recycling inbusinesses and multifamily housing units.
Finally, having a better understanding of disposal and diversion quantities will assist the Countyin assessing the success of existing programs, exploring and identifying other waste reductionprograms, evaluating the feasibility of implementing them in the County, and assessing howthese new programs would assist in achieving the County’s overarching goals. Each newprogram or policy recommended through the Sustainable Waste Management Roadmap shouldbe tailored to location and customer and coupled with clear, meaningful, and achievableperformance measures. With an ongoing baseline of disposal and diversion measurements, wecan assess whether different programs and policies are effective.
Existing County programs and sustainability efforts, as identified in Appendix B, need to beevaluated for effectiveness, costs, and determination of whether they should be maintained attheir current resource expenditure level, expanded and/or modified, or eliminated. Someexisting County programs, such as C&D Debris Diversion, are already being measured but willneed to be described using metrics that will assist in comparison with other programs and theoverall Roadmap goals.
There is a strong likelihood that, during the course of evaluating existing programs, the need foradditional information will become apparent. Appropriate protocols will be developed toaddress these data gaps. This is likely to include, but will not be limited to, identifying resourcerequirements to obtain data, consulting with key stakeholders to determine the viability ofprotocols, and determining level of accuracy that can be expected.
19Los Angeles County baseline waste characterization study, 2006
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Outreach and Education
Given that unincorporated communities are spread throughout the County, the Working Group
recommends establishing a broad communication plan focusing at the community scale.
Identifying regions that include communities with common demographics, natural resources,
and similar commercial and industrial businesses will help target messaging more effectively.
The regions selected will be determined during the implementation process, but will consider
the 11 Planning Areas identified in the County General Plan. Focused and relevant outreach
can be conducted throughout these regions, encouraging maximum participation in the
community. Effective public education will cultivate behavioral change that will lead toward a
waste-free, safe, and healthy future for County communities. A comprehensive Action Plan will
support the County’s sustainable waste management priorities, such as ensuring communities
understand the safety and relevance of conversion technologies.
Feedback from key stakeholders will be crucial to developing an effective implementation plan.
Empowering stakeholders to provide input to the County’s planning process not only facilitates
a transparent process and a spirit of partnership, it also allows for the inclusion of diverse
perspectives and backgrounds and will result in more effective programs and policies. Tapping
into their knowledge and experience early in the planning process should enable the County to
facilitate the highest degree of collaboration and cooperation when programs and policies are
subsequently implemented. Stakeholders could also be helpful in identifying any potential
adverse or unanticipated impacts as well as corresponding mitigation measures. The inclusion
of diverse perspectives will help ensure that recommended strategies are environmentally,
socially, and fiscally responsible. In addition, utilizing the abundant forms of social media is
fundamental to promote the Roadmap, solicit feedback, and educate constituents to gain the
maximum success and impact.
Artists and arts organizations are also key to the creative problem solving and public outreach
necessary to achieve a waste-free future for the County. More than 3,000 nonprofit arts
organizations and 150,000 artists serve the region. In addition to cultural production and
economic impact, their work spans a growing range of real world situations, such as social
services, education standards, public participation, and the quality of the built environment.
Artists and arts organizations can advance the goals and objectives of the Roadmap, in its
overarching strategies as well as in tactics for inspiring targeted audiences and addressing
issues. The arts should be fully integrated into key County initiatives tackling intractable social
challenges, such as sustainable solid waste management. The Los Angeles County network of
artists and arts organizations can be a resource for public outreach programs, and develop
campaigns for behavioral change and collaboration with unincorporated area communities and
interested stakeholders.
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Our Sustainable Waste Management Future
To achieve a sustainable waste management future, it is important to understand the terms
“sustainable” and “waste.” “Sustainable development” is generally understood as
development that meets current needs without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs. Many organizations also highlight the three aspects of sustainability -
Environment, Economy, and Society - as shown in Figure 3. Another way to express this
concept is maintaining good care of people, planet, and prosperity in perpetuity. Waste, on the
other hand, is defined as a material eliminated or discarded as no longer wanted, useful, or
required. The notion of waste is at odds with the ideal of sustainability. Our vision for a
sustainable waste management future identifies materials that were formerly considered waste
as a resource rather than a liability, with the goal of one day eliminating waste in the
unincorporated communities of the County.
The County aspires to be a regional leader in sustainability and adopt policies that support
regional collaboration and strengthen private enterprise. In 2005 and 2006, the County
conducted a comprehensive waste characterization study of the waste generation, disposal and
diversion practices throughout the County Unincorporated Communities, including the
residential and commercial sectors. At that time, the waste characterization found that the
County Unincorporated Communities generated approximately 2.9 million tons of materials,
equivalent to 14.8 pounds per resident per day (ppd), and 1.45 million tons were being
disposed at landfills, resulting in a diversion rate of 50 percent, compared to a 1990 baseline.
Currently, the County Unincorporated Communities dispose approximately 764,000 tons in
landfills each year, or roughly 4 pounds of waste per person per day. The last official state
approved diversion rate for the County Unincorporated Communities was 54 percent in 2006.
The diversion rate is calculated based on the difference between estimated generation and
measured disposal. Waste generation can be estimated based on the CalRecycle Adjustment
method, which is a formula that accounts for population changes and economic conditions, or
on a method based on the per capita generation estimate which only accounts for population.
Both methods provide an estimated diversion rate of approximately 70 percent for 2013. This
estimated diversion rate may be primarily attributable to the economic recession that began in
December 2007, rather than to significant increases in recycling or other waste diversion
activities. Therefore, Public Works will conduct a waste characterization study in the near
future to determine an accurate diversion rate that reflects the success of the County’s waste
diversion programs.
In developing the Sustainable Waste Management Future Roadmap, the Working Group
prioritized minimizing dependence on landfilling and waste exportation, since landfill capacity
within the County is diminishing over time and, therefore, unsustainable. The following
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disposal reduction targets were identified by the Working Group as achievable milestones
towards a sustainable waste management future:
Diverting 80 percent of our waste from landfill disposal by 2025, equivalent to disposing
no more than 3 pounds per person per day.
Diverting 90 percent of our waste from landfill disposal by 2035, equivalent to disposing
no more than 1.5 pounds per person per day.
Diverting 95+ percent of our waste from landfill disposal by 2045, equivalent to
disposing no more than 0.75 pounds per person per day.
The purpose of these ambitious targets is to set the bar high, providing the County with
forward-looking goals to maintain momentum providing a crucial framework for the
development of necessary infrastructure and services to achieve a truly sustainable waste
management future. These goals are based on the per-capita disposal and generation figures
established during the most recent waste characterization study completed by the County in
2005, which is the most complete and accurate estimate of total waste generation the County
has conducted to date. The challenge with using this estimate as a baseline is that this study
relies on an extrapolation of total waste generation from 2005, however actual waste
generation fluctuates based on a number of factors, including population, economic activity,
and adoption of various waste reduction and sustainability measures over time. As a result,
although the disposal reduction targets established above will undoubtedly guide us towards a
more sustainable waste management future, additional measures of success will be crucial to
develop. In addition, a sound measurement system will need to be in place with consistent
monitoring. These and other measures are discussed in more detail under Strategy 2:
Measuring Results.
Beyond the disposal reduction targets, this Roadmap has the following overarching goals,
directly related to the three aspects of sustainability:
First, foster an environmentally sound waste management system that is focused on
reducing waste generation and disposal. This system will make the best use of natural
resources, support the production of recycled-content products, and expand local and
sustainable infrastructure.
Second, foster a system that is cost effective and efficient. Working collaboratively with
regional partners and private enterprises, identifying new opportunities for innovation
and green job creation.
Third, foster a system that is responsive to the needs of the community by implementing
programs and policies that are feasible, measurable, and meaningful for rate payers. A
sustainable waste management system should empower residents and businesses to be
successful while building a sense of community.
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This Roadmap is intended to outline a recommended approach to establishing a sustainable
waste management future. The Working Group recommends that, subject to approval by the
Board, more detailed implementation plans be developed for each initiative, which will
incorporate specific details on feasibility, costs, proposed funding, and timelines. It is also
recommended that the Roadmap be shared with residents, businesses, public agencies, the
waste industry, environmental organizations, and other interested stakeholders to solicit
additional suggestions and feedback.
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Figure 3
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The Roadmap - Focus Areas, Strategies, and Initiatives
COUNTY UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITIES
Strategy 1: Programs and Services
Develop, enhance, and expand high-quality programs and services to provide for solid waste
management needs in the County Unincorporated Communities while striving to reduce the
amount of waste generated and disposed of at landfills to the reduction targets identified in the
Roadmap.
Initiative (A) - Institutionalize Waste Prevention and Source Reduction in County Unincorporated
Communities
Develop a model purchasing guide/policy for businesses (e.g., fork dispensers instead of
individually wrapped forks, recycled content office paper).
Explore and, if feasible, develop and implement more aggressive reuse programs.
♦ Consider policies to discourage single-use water bottles in favor of reusable water
bottles;
♦ Research the feasibility of assigning redemption fees on items other than existing
CRV beverage containers and expanding the list of CRV beverage containers to
boost recycling and reuse (e.g., glass wine or liquor bottles).
♦ Encourage local businesses to charge deposits to promote reuse of certain
products (e.g., reusable milk bottles).
♦ Enable and encourage reusable to-go containers.
♦ Evaluate the most effective methods for implementing and enforcing policies
such as bans, requirements, or ordinances, and determine the impact on
residents and businesses.
♦ Promote reuse and repair for residents, businesses, and nonprofits with repair
workshops (Repair Café and iFixit models); web-based directories for sharing
reusable materials, such as LACoMAX, the County’s free materials exchange
network; thrift stores and repair shops; reuse depots like East Bay Depot for
Creative Reuse; and/or Tool Lending Libraries20.
20Tool Lending Libraries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tool-lending_libraries
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Initiative (B) - Advocate for Extended Producer and Manufacturer Responsibility in County
Unincorporated Communities
Establish a working group with businesses, waste haulers, and other interested
stakeholders to develop solutions that promote EPR while ensuring materials continue to
be collected and managed safely and efficiently.
Explore the feasibility of establishing a County EPR ordinance for materials, such as
pharmaceuticals, needles, carpet, mattresses, and battery management, while ensuring
collected items are properly managed in accordance with Federal, State and local laws
using environmentally sound practices.
♦ Consider legal requirements for producers to phase out toxic materials or to take
back these products at the end of life.
Support voluntary take-back initiatives. Encourage and incentivize businesses and
institutions to take back designated products and packaging they sell and are sold by
others in their area (especially items that are toxic in their manufacture, use, or disposal,
and/or are not currently reusable, recyclable, or compostable locally).
Explore and implement, if feasible, a Green Business Certification that incentivizes local
unincorporated area businesses to reduce their waste in operations and products.
Promote EPR solutions that recognize fiscal challenges for small businesses and avoid, to
the extent feasible, increased cost to consumers.
Initiative (C) - Make Sustainability Easy and Discourage "Trashing" in County Unincorporated
Communities
Prior to issuing new contracts, evaluate the sustainability of the existing solid waste
collection system and modify if necessary, considering:
♦ the effectiveness of the system;
♦ customer satisfaction; and
♦ effectiveness of the programs and policies in helping to meet and exceed the
State’s waste diversion mandates, other State and County priorities, and the
disposal reduction targets established in this Roadmap.
Evaluate and implement, if feasible, alternative trash collection methods, such as
reducing trash collection frequency; adjusting the size of bins; implementing a volume or
weight-based trash collection system (pay as you throw); collecting additional organics
in the green waste bin; and/or a two-bin collection system (wet and dry) processed at a
MRF for separation and recovery.
Explore and implement, if feasible, revisions to current and future Franchise and Garbage
Disposal District waste hauler contracts to advance the goals of the Roadmap, while
respecting existing contracts. Consider:
♦ Eliminating the collection of unlimited quantities of waste.
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♦ Creating incentives or requirements to meet specific diversion standards (e.g.,
80% by 2025).
♦ Developing incentives for local disposal to the nearest landfill or alternatives to
landfills.
♦ Revising or eliminating Garbage Disposal Districts including possibly converting
the residential or commercial customers to the franchise system.
Explore and implement, with the concurrence of residents and businesses, modification
to the County Code to include warnings and penalties for not recycling, and create a
mechanism to monitor and enforce recycling (e.g., cameras on waste collection vehicles).
Create and support an innovative “Tech Lab” incubator for reuse/recycle enterprise
development.
Research the feasibility of implementing product bans or disposal bans where
sustainable alternatives are readily available and reasonable.
Encourage additional recycling receptacles to be placed and maintained in business
corridors, especially adjacent to existing public trash receptacles.
Initiative (D) - Recover Organics, including Food Waste, to the Highest and Best Uses in County
Unincorporated Communities
Collaborate with waste haulers to develop organics collection and diversion programs in
County Unincorporated Communities, where feasible.
Explore and implement, if feasible, Food DROP for unused edibles in County
Unincorporated Communities (see description in the Priority Issues section).
♦ Create a database of large food waste generators such as restaurants, cafeterias,
hotels, and large event venues, in County Unincorporated Communities.
♦ Explore and establish partnerships with food service providers, businesses, or
nonprofits for development and operation of Food DROPs in County
Unincorporated Communities.
♦ Educate businesses in County Unincorporated Communities on the Bill Emerson
Good Samaritan Food Donation Act21 to address liability concerns.
Research the feasibility of a mobile organics collection system for specific events like
concerts and large picnic events.
Consider establishing an ordinance for the food service industry to provide compostable
take-out containers and utensils, once options to compost or recover such materials are
widely available.
Initiative (E) - Maximize Diversion of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris in County
Unincorporated Communities
21The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, passed in 1996, protects both donors and
recipients of donated food from legal liability, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
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Revise the C&D Recycling and Reuse Ordinance to:
♦ Match new requirements established by the County’s Green Building Ordinance
and State Green Building Code and incorporate more green building standards.
♦ Increase the diversion requirement to 70 percent for mixed C&D, 100 percent for
all asphalt and concrete, unpainted wood, glass, sediment, and green waste.
Consider incentives to promote deconstruction and the use of salvaged materials.
♦ Prepare a deconstruction services guide.
♦ Support used building materials outlets and stores as well as Resource Recovery
Centers (as described in the Priority Issues section) at landfills and transfer
stations that serve the County unincorporated communities.
Support historic preservation and those seeking to restore and reuse buildings, include
"adaptive reuse" as a priority in building standards and encourage the remodeling or
repurposing of buildings that are still functional.
Strategy 2: Measuring Results
Use benchmarking, goal-Setting, monitoring, and evaluation to measure the effectiveness of
programs and services, facilities and infrastructure, and outreach and education for residents
and businesses in order to strive for continuous improvement and encourage innovation in
reducing waste through source reduction in the County Unincorporated Communities.
Initiative (A) - Waste Sector Assessment in the County Unincorporated Communities
Conduct assessment of waste sectors that are sending waste to disposal facilities.
♦ Conduct regular Waste Characterization Studies for entire County Unincorporated
Communities (all sectors) at 5- to 10-year intervals to determine material types
being disposed which could ultimately be recycled. Include MRFs and transfer
stations, as well as self-haul, scavenging, and recycling drop off centers to
determine accurate generation and diversion rates.
♦ Conduct smaller sample audits of material types disposed that could be recycled,
using hauler loads where feasible.
♦ Assess the proportion of the waste that the County controls (e.g., through its
franchise system) and quantities of recycling and organic waste diversion.
♦ Examine the level of detail available in assessing the quantities from the various
waste sectors.
♦ Assess drivers that result in open market/self haulers sending waste to disposal.
♦ Partner with academia to help mine data collected from waste assessments.
Develop metrics for the movement of waste through the various stages of the solid waste
management system, and model the system for the purpose of assessing how new
programs could affect the flow of waste through the system.
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Account for scavenging and noncurbside recycling at recycling centers.
Collaborate with organizations to offer waste stream studies to large businesses.
♦ Build partnerships with hospitals, schools, hotels, and large manufacturers.
Initiative (B) - Evaluate and Measure the Success of Existing Programs and Consider New
Programs in the County Unincorporated Communities.
Create a separate framework/template to monitor and measure the success of each new
proposed program or initiative as well as existing programs.
♦ Obtain feedback from residents and businesses on existing programs prior to
implementing new policies and standards.
Establish benchmarks tied to waste reduction goals – disposal, recycling, other diversion.
♦ Look into ways to get more data for recycling and waste reduction, such as
collaboration with haulers and materials collection and processing facilities.
♦ Develop a tracking tool to measure and assess source reduction.
Analyze the lifecycle effects of nonrecyclable, single-use materials (i.e., consumer rubber
products, packaging, etc.) and recycled materials.
♦ Partner with a research institution/university for assistance with lifecycle
assessments.
♦ This lifecycle assessment would be the basis for future action by the County to
phase out or ban these materials.
Create an Environmental Benefits Calculator for additional evaluation and benchmarking
of programs or initiatives to recognize external benefits and successes, such as
greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and water conservation.
Initiative (C) - Ensure Sustainable Funding and Alignment of Incentives with Program Goals in
the County Unincorporated Communities
Annually review program expenditures and revenues to ensure efficiencies and
sustainable funding.
Evaluate and modify, if needed, existing revenue streams, such as the Solid Waste
Generation Service charge, to mitigate funding lost from waste reduction efforts, and
align incentives with waste reduction goals.
♦ Identify funding mechanisms/sources for current programs, and estimate future
revenues from those sources.
♦ If revenues are projected to decline and programs cannot be realigned to
mitigate this impact, identify options to augment revenue streams or accomplish
the goals of the programs through other mechanisms, in order to ensure
adequate funding is available to carry out programs and policies.
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Identify options for program funding adjustments that incentivize recycling and fund
diversion programs, in compliance with Prop 218 and Prop 26, as applicable.
Advocate for EPR to reduce County costs for collecting abandoned materials in road
right-of-ways, such as paint, carpet, furniture, and mattresses.
♦ Realize savings from program efficiencies and efforts, such as EPR, to ensure
sustainable program funding.
Explore grant funding and loans to augment program funding.
Evaluate the financial impact of scavenging to recycling programs, and identify options
to reduce the incidence of scavenging.
Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure
Incorporate sustainability practices and develop more advanced local waste management
facilities and infrastructure in a fiscally, socially, and environmentally responsible manner in the
County Unincorporated Communities.
Initiative (A) - Develop Conversion Technologies and Integrated Materials Recovery Facilities in
the County Unincorporated Communities
Establish a streamlined and coordinated County permitting process for essential waste
management facilities that are environmentally safe and technically feasible located in
County Unincorporated Communities, including conversion technologies, material
recovery facilities (MRFs), C&D processing facilities, transfer stations, etc.
Develop educational pilot projects in the County Unincorporated Communities to
demonstrate the benefits and safety of conversion technologies.
Initiative (B) - Organics Processing Infrastructure in the County Unincorporated Communities
Evaluate options to encourage the development of local organics diversion facilities,
including composting, anaerobic digestion, and chipping/grinding operations, to assist
businesses in the County Unincorporated Communities with AB 1826 compliance.
♦ Identify businesses that generate large amounts of food or green waste.
♦ Investigate opportunities to develop micro-composters or digesters in County
unincorporated communities at large community venues/facilities such as
schools, restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
♦ Investigate community digesters for food waste that cannot be donated.
♦ Work with County CEO Real Estate Unit to identify possible sites for anaerobic
digestion facilities.
♦ Investigate opportunities to develop organics diversion facilities at landfills
located in the County Unincorporated Communities.
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Partner with select County Unincorporated Communities to institute pilot compost
programs that can be replicated on a broader scale if successful.
Initiative (C) - Local Green Business and Market Development in County Unincorporated
Communities
Seek and encourage new green businesses and remanufacturing facilities to locate in the
County Unincorporated Communities.
Determine how to incentivize the use of recycled products or re-use for businesses.
♦ Seek out and promote grant funding for green businesses.
Incorporate provisions to ensure the availability of a viable market for materials removed
during sediment basin cleanouts.
Initiative (D) - Resource Recovery Centers and “Re-stores” in the Unincorporated Area
Explore adoption of an ordinance or policy to develop Resource Recovery Centers, as
described in the Priority Issues section, at all transfer stations and landfills in the
unincorporated area.
Explore processing of self-haul loads at transfer stations serving the County
Unincorporated Communities.
Support private sector investment in Resource Recovery Centers for self-haul customers.
Support siting of re-stores in the County Unincorporated Communities throughout the
County.
Strategy 4: Outreach and Education
Incorporate proactive and appropriate communication tools in order to engage and empower
stakeholders and further promote a sustainable waste management future for County
Unincorporated Communities.
Initiative (A) - Communication Action Plan for County Unincorporated Communities
Develop an outline for a unique communication plan, focused at the unincorporated
community level based on demographics, resources, and commercial and industrial
businesses in the targeted areas.
♦ Initiate a unifying slogan, such as “Don’t Waste Your Waste” in the outreach
campaign, promoting the Four R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink) to effect
behavioral change in residents and businesses.
♦ Include face-to-face and targeted communication as part of the plan.
♦ Communication plan will focus on the 11 Planning Areas identified in the County
General Plan to encourage maximum participation by the community.
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Establish partnerships to build on and promote other sustainability programs.
Create more opportunities for effective communication with businesses and residents
through social media (Blog posts, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest,
Tumblr, etc.).
Conduct surveys, organized by regions, to determine program effectiveness and solicit
feedback.
Educate businesses on recycling programs that can help them reduce their disposal costs
and increase their recycling rate.
Educate the public on policy issues relative to sustainability.
♦ Produce one or more short videos to get the message out to the public.
♦ Partner with town councils, homeowners associations, chambers of commerce,
faith-based organizations, etc., to get messaging out.
Educate the public on the environmental benefits and safety of conversion technology
facilities and inform them of successful conversion projects.
Develop a social marketing program to find the best means to encourage people to use
public recycling bins. Use a “Community-Based Social Marketing” style of analysis and
focus groups to measure results and implement pilot programs.
Develop an awareness campaign identifying problematic products (such as household
hazardous waste, disposable diapers, and other single-use or hard-to-recycle items) and
promote alternatives.
Initiative (B) - Stakeholder Engagement and Empowerment in the County Unincorporated
Communities
Incorporate incentives, awards, contests, etc., to encourage program participation by
residents and businesses.
Create an interactive website with a forum for residents to report their individual
sustainability projects or personal waste reduction efforts.
Sponsor an annual Business Zero Waste Workshop, with featured speakers from various
zero-waste businesses demonstrating how to implement waste reduction programs in
the workplace and how to measure progress.
Host planning workshops with waste haulers, businesses, multifamily complex owners,
and other stakeholders to solicit feedback and foster collaboration.
Collaborate with County Unincorporated Communities during development of each
implementation plan to encourage a broad commitment. Cultivate partnerships with
like-minded entities to maximize education and outreach capabilities.
Coordinate recycling events, such as a fashion show or art show, utilizing recycled and/or
repurposed materials.
Develop case studies of model sustainability programs and promote best practices.
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Incorporate multiple languages (Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish,
Tagalog, Vietnamese, etc.) in educational and outreach efforts.
Support the formation of “Green Teams” (groups representing chambers of commerce,
property managers, faith community, schools, etc.) and encourage them to work with
their networks to pursue Zero Waste.
Establish a “Sustainable Community Leader” award for unincorporated County residents
and businesses. Residents and businesses would be recognized for taking initiative to
reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost in their home or business.
REGIONAL/COUNTYWIDE
Strategy 1: Programs and Services
Develop, enhance, and expand high-quality programs and services at a Regional/Countywide
level to provide for solid waste management needs while striving to reduce the amount of waste
generated and disposed of at all County landfills.
Initiative (A) - Institutionalize Waste Prevention and Source Reduction at a Regional/Countywide
Level
Evaluate with local municipalities and other public agencies opportunities to implement
policies, such as EPR Ordinances.
Share County purchasing guides with schools and other jurisdictions, as applicable.
Evaluate reuse programs.
♦ If found feasible and implemented in County Unincorporated Communities,
encourage cities to assign redemption fees on items other than existing CRV
beverage containers and expanding the list of CRV beverage containers to boost
recycling and reuse (e.g., glass wine or liquor bottles).
♦ Explore with local municipalities and other public agencies the most effective
methods for them to implement and enforce policies, such as bans, requirements,
or ordinances. For policies determined to be more effective at a regional or
Statewide level, encourage collaboration among cities and/or support legislation,
as was done for the County’s policy to reduce plastic bag litter.
Initiative (B) - Advocate for Extended Producer and Manufacturer Responsibility at a
Regional/Countywide Level
Be a strong advocate with partner agencies and municipalities for EPR policy, legislation
and programs regionally, Statewide, and nationally, particularly to drive improvements in
product design that are environmentally sustainable.
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Encourage cities within the County to adopt by resolution any County EPR ordinances,
once established, in order to improve the benefits and economies of scale of such
ordinances.
Initiative (C) - Recover Organics, including Food Waste, to the Highest and Best Uses at a
Regional/Countywide Level
Utilize the existing Smart Gardening program to promote the diversion of organic waste
Countywide.
♦ Provide food waste educational opportunities and composting resources for
multifamily residents.
♦ Establish a network of community gardens and facilities for composting of
food/yard waste, and utilize this local network of micro-composters to produce
compost from food and yard waste, which can be used for backyards and gardens
at the neighborhood level.
Partner with school districts to ensure that every school in Los Angeles County has a
garden.
Explore and implement, if feasible, Food DROP for unused edibles (see description in the
Priority Issues section).
♦ Explore and establish partnerships with food service providers, businesses, or
nonprofits for development and operation of Food DROPs on a regional basis.
Initiative (D) - Maximize Diversion of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris at a
Regional/Countywide Level
Make the revised C&D Recycling and Reuse Ordinance available to other jurisdictions as
a template for adoption.
Initiative (E) - Maximize Diversion of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Electronic Waste
(E-Waste) at a Regional/Countywide Level
Work with cities and landfill operators to increase the number of permanent HHW and
E-Waste collection centers where feasible.
♦ Determine how many centers would be needed along with expected upfront and
operating costs.
♦ Identify potential locations convenient to the community to increase participation
and reduce the amount of toxic materials improperly disposed.
Consider establishing swap stations for reusable products dropped off at permanent
centers.
Maintain agreement with PaintCare to collect and recycle residential consumer paint.
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Explore and implement, if feasible, a curbside HHW and E-Waste collection program.
Strategy 2: Measuring Results
Encourage and partner with municipalities and regional special districts to use benchmarking,
goal-setting, monitoring, and evaluation to measure the effectiveness of programs and services,
facilities and infrastructure, and outreach and education to strive for continuous improvement
and encourage innovation in reducing waste through source reduction at the
Regional/Countywide level.
Initiative (A) - Evaluate and Measure the Success of Existing Programs and Consider New
Programs at a Regional/Countywide level.
Create a separate framework/template to monitor and measure the success of each new
proposed Countywide program or initiative as well as existing programs.
♦ Obtain feedback from residents, businesses, jurisdictions, and other partners,
including municipalities and special districts, on existing programs prior to
implementing new policies and standards.
Establish benchmarks tied to waste reduction goals – disposal, recycling, other diversion.
♦ Encourage partner agencies to obtain and share more data for recycling and
waste reduction, such as collaboration with haulers and materials collection and
processing facilities.
♦ In cooperation with partner agencies, develop tracking tools to measure and
assess source reduction.
Initiative (B) - Ensure Sustainable Funding and Alignment of Incentives with Program Goals at a
Regional/Countywide Level
Annually review program expenditures and revenues for Countywide programs to ensure
efficiencies and sustainable funding.
Evaluate and modify, if needed, existing revenue streams, such as the Countywide Solid
Waste Management Fee, to mitigate funding lost from waste reduction efforts, and align
incentives with waste reduction goals.
♦ Identify funding mechanisms/sources for current programs, and estimate future
revenues from those sources.
♦ If revenues are projected to decline and programs cannot be realigned to
mitigate this impact, identify options to augment revenue streams or accomplish
the goals of the programs through other mechanisms, in order to ensure
adequate funding is available to carry out programs and policies.
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Identify options for program funding adjustments that incentivize recycling and fund
diversion programs, in compliance with Prop 218 and Prop 26, as applicable.
Explore grant funding and loans to augment program funding, identify partnerships with
jurisdictions, agencies, and nonprofits on grant applications for regional programs and
efforts to increase opportunities to obtain funding.
Advocate for EPR to reduce County costs for operating collection programs at the
Regional/Countywide level targeting “take back” materials, such as paint,
pharmaceuticals, carpet, furniture, and mattresses.
♦ Realize savings from program efficiencies and efforts, such as extended producer
responsibility, to ensure sustainable program funding.
Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure
Incorporate sustainability practices and develop more advanced waste management facilities
and infrastructure in a fiscally, socially, and environmentally responsible manner at a
Regional/Countywide level.
Initiative (A) - Develop Conversion Technologies and Integrated Materials Recovery Facilities at
a Regional/Countywide Level
Work with State and regional agencies, such as CalRecycle, the Regional Water Quality
Control Board, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District, to streamline the
permitting process for essential waste management facilities that are environmentally
safe and technically feasible, including conversion technologies, material recovery
facilities, C&D processing facilities, transfer stations, etc., at the regional and State level.
Continue to sponsor and support legislation to encourage the environmentally sound
development of conversion technologies and build a coalition of organizations to do so.
Evaluate options to establish incentives in order to level the cost differential between
conversion technology facilities and landfills, or otherwise incentivize waste haulers to
direct waste to such facilities.
Increase awareness of the www.SoCalConversion.org website as a one-stop portal for
information regarding local project development, local ordinances, permitting processes,
and general information and resources related to conversion technology development.
Initiative (B) - Organics Processing Infrastructure at a Regional/Countywide Level
Evaluate opportunities to encourage the development of regional organics diversion
facilities, including composting, anaerobic digestion, and chipping/grinding operations.
♦ Explore opportunities for co-digestion of source-separated commercial organics
at wastewater treatment plants with excess digester capacity.
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Initiative (C) - Local Green Business and Market Development at a Regional/Countywide Level
Work with partner cities in the County Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) to
encourage new green businesses and remanufacturing facilities to locate in Los Angeles
County.
Continue to seek opportunities to expand the RMDZ to include additional interested cities
in Los Angeles County.
Initiative (D) - Resource Recovery Centers and “Re-stores” at a Regional/Countywide Level
Partner with the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County and municipalities in the
County to facilitate the development of Resource Recovery Centers, as described in the
Priority Issues section, at all publically-owned transfer stations and landfills.
Initiative (E) - Emergency Management/Debris Management Plan at a Regional/Countywide
Level
Update County’s Debris Management Plan to maximize diversion of materials following
emergencies and disasters.
♦ Include a list of as-needed emergency debris removal service contracts for
handling disaster debris generated in the County Unincorporated Communities
and contract cities.
♦ Identify temporary storage areas for interim stockpiling of disaster debris for
recycling.
♦ Update the list of recycling and disposal facilities for managing disaster debris.
♦ Ensure debris management practices include good-faith efforts to source
separate, reuse, and recycle materials to the extent feasible.
♦ Clarify lines of responsibility for various agencies.
Strategy 4: Outreach and Education
Incorporate proactive and appropriate communication tools in order to engage and empower
stakeholders and further promote a sustainable waste management future at a
Regional/Countywide level.
Initiative (A) - Communication Action Plan at a Regional/Countywide Level
Develop an outline for a broad communication plan, promoting the Four R’s (Reduce,
Reuse, Recycle, Rethink) to inspire behavioral change in residents and businesses.
♦ Include face-to-face and mass media communication as part of the plan.
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♦ Brand the campaign slogan (e.g., “Don’t Waste Your Waste”) and encourage
cities to adopt and include in their websites as a consistent slogan.
♦ Establish partnerships to build on and promote other sustainability programs,
and partner with other jurisdictions or agencies, as appropriate, to leverage
resources and amplify the message of sustainability.
Initiative (B) - Stakeholder Engagement and Empowerment at a Regional/Countywide Level
Partner with universities and community colleges in the County to establish green
workforce training programs and assist with data mining.
Expand the Generation Earth Battle of the School program and encourage all schools
serving the County Unincorporated Communities to participate.
COUNTY OPERATIONS
Strategy 1: Programs and Services
Develop, enhance, and expand high-quality programs and services at County facilities to provide
for solid waste management needs while striving to reduce the amount of waste generated and
disposed of at landfills.
Initiative (A) - Institutionalize Waste Prevention and Source Reduction at County Facilities
Identify areas of excess waste at County facilities and operations and create source
reduction policies within the framework of the County’s budget.
Develop templates for programs and policies and implement them at County facilities
and operations.
Provide technical assistance, training, financing, and other resources for County
departments to ensure their success.
Evaluate County purchasing practices:
♦ Find ways to save money and reduce the purchase of excess food, paper, and
other supplies that may be wasted and disposed of at landfills. Provide a web-
based inter-department materials exchange for office supplies and equipment.
Remove barriers to donating unwanted or excess materials.
♦ Review and make enhancements to the County’s Green Purchasing Policy to
purchase products that are recyclable, compostable, reusable, repairable, and
locally manufactured or grown. Publish a list of products that meet these
standards.
♦ Identify opportunities for Countywide purchasing initiatives for recyclable or
compostable service ware (or other items that may be more expensive than the
hard to recycle items).
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Establish a Paperless Office Initiative at County facilities where feasible, incorporating
e-communication as much as possible.
Explore and, if feasible, develop and implement more aggressive reuse programs.
♦ Consider policies to discourage single-use water bottles in favor of reusable water
bottles. Incorporate hydration stations at County facilities to encourage
employees and visitors to bring reusable water containers.
♦ Incorporate bulk dispensers at County facilities with cafeterias for commonly
purchased items, such as milk, soda, juice, and condiments, to eliminate waste of
individual packaged items.
♦ Organize a once a month “swap yours for mine” event for employees to bring
items that they would like to swap with other employees or donate.
♦ Suggest replacement systems for reducing certain materials (e.g., tablets to
facilitate a paperless office).
Initiative (B) - Advocate for Extended Producer and Manufacturer Responsibility at County
Facilities
Incentivize EPR, such as reduced packaging, in County procurement and contracts, giving
consideration to vendors who utilize EPR.
Initiative (C) - Make Sustainability Easy and Discourage "Trashing" at County Facilities
Provide for recycling at public venues, where feasible and funded, such as beaches,
libraries, hospitals, and parks, internal County functions, and employee events; provide
more public recycling receptacles placed adjacent to public trash receptacles.
Provide waste reduction technical assistance to large County venues and events to
achieve net-zero waste.
Expand the County Recycling Coordinator program and develop standardized reuse and
recycling processes.
Initiative (D) - Recover Organics, including Food Waste, to the Highest and Best Uses at County
Facilities
Explore and implement, if feasible and funded by the Board through a department’s
annual budget appropriations, food waste/organics collection, food drops, and
composting programs at specific County facilities.
♦ Identify largest generators of food and green waste among County facilities.
♦ Create a pilot program to be a model program that would be implemented at
other County facilities.
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Encourage and incentivize organics collection or onsite management at venues with
cafeterias, such as hospitals and detention centers.
Research the feasibility of a mobile organics collection system for specific events like
concerts and large picnic events.
Initiative (E) - Maximize Diversion of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris at County
Facilities
Revise the C&D Recycling and Reuse Ordinance to:
♦ Match new requirements established by the County’s Green Building Ordinance
and State Green Building Code and incorporate more green building standards.
♦ Increase the diversion requirement to 70 percent for mixed C&D, 100 percent for
all asphalt and concrete, unpainted wood, glass, sediment, and green waste.
♦ Include standards for County facilities and projects to achieve net-zero waste.
Require maintenance contracts to increase longevity of materials, such as carpet,
upholstery, and furniture, used at County facilities.
Provide incentives for green buildings, and update the County green building policy to
provide incentives for use of products that are more durable, have a longer lifespan,
require no additional finishing on-site, have less frequent maintenance and repair cycles,
and give credits for products made from recycled content.
Strategy 2: Measuring Results
Use benchmarking, goal-setting, monitoring, and evaluation to measure the effectiveness of
programs and services, facilities and infrastructure and outreach and education in order to
strive for continuous improvement and encourage innovation at County facilities.
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Initiative (A) - Waste Sector Assessment at County Facilities
Develop a methodology, schedule, and budget to conduct waste generation and disposal
surveys at County operations.
Develop metrics for the movement of waste through County operations, and model the
system for the purpose of assessing how new programs could affect the flow of waste
through the system.
Initiative (B) - Evaluate and Measure the Success of Existing Programs and Consider New
Programs at County Facilities
Create a framework to monitor and measure the success of waste reduction programs
targeted at County facilities.
Establish benchmarks tied to waste reduction goals – disposal, recycling, other diversion.
♦ Look into ways to get more data for recycling and waste reduction, such as
collaboration with haulers and materials collection and processing facilities.
♦ Develop a tracking tool to measure and assess source reduction.
Incorporate sustainability practices and measurement in future County contracts.
Initiative (C) - Ensure Sustainable Funding and Alignment of Incentives with Program Goals at
County Facilities
Review and revise County contracts, such as waste collection franchises, Garbage
Disposal Districts, and facility permits to create incentives to reduce waste, such as
requiring green waste diversion in landscaping and tree trimming contracts.
Combine or consolidate shared services and logistics across County departments to
reduce operational costs.
Involve key County departments including the CEO, Public Works, Internal Services, and
other affected department(s) to identify County funding options during the budget cycle
to implement County facility initiatives.
Explore incentivizing departments to create budgetary savings in solid waste
management that, with CEO concurrence and Board approval, could be redirected to a
department’s operating budget for main mission services and programs.
Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure
Incorporate sustainability practices and develop more advanced waste management facilities
and infrastructure in a fiscally, socially, and environmentally responsible manner at County
facilities.
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Initiative (A) - Develop Conversion Technologies and Integrated Materials Recovery Facilities at
County Facilities
Develop educational pilot projects, as funding is identified, at County facilities to
demonstrate the benefits and safety of conversion technologies.
Develop guidelines for utilizing byproducts generated through alternative technology
facilities for beneficial purposes at County facilities and in County projects.
Initiative (B) - Organics Processing Infrastructure at County Facilities
Establish guidelines and enable County facilities that are large-quantity food waste
generators to do their own composting, where feasible.
♦ Create a list of County facilities that generate large amounts of food or green
waste.
♦ Identify at least two micro-composter pilot project opportunities, including
required funding, at County facilities that would foster interdepartmental
collaboration and help meet the solid waste management needs of one or more
large County departments.
♦ Develop guidelines for utilizing locally-produced compost and mulch in County
projects and at County facilities.
♦ Investigate sites along with cost and permitting details to construct a County
anaerobic digestion facility.
Initiative (C) - Local Green Business and Market Development at County Facilities
Promote the use of recycled materials (e.g., glass, compost) generated from County
operations at County facilities, where feasible.
Determine how to incentivize the use of recycled products or re-use for County
operations.
Strategy 4: Outreach and Education
Incorporate proactive and appropriate communication tools in order to engage and empower
stakeholders and further promote a sustainable waste management future at County facilities.
Initiative (A) - Stakeholder Engagement and Empowerment
Incorporate incentives, awards, contests, etc., to encourage employee participation in
sustainability programs.
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Create an interactive website with a forum for departments to report their individual
sustainability projects or personal waste reduction efforts, including budgetary savings
and efficiencies.
Initiative (B) - Leadership in Sustainability
Work with County departments to implement sustainable practices, where fiscally
feasible, based on feedback from waste surveys.
Encourage innovation by establishing a fund for composting projects or facilities to be
developed by County departments or in consultation with private operators.
Provide training for staff in advance of any new initiative impacting County-owned or
operated facilities.
Establish an internal Sustainability Ambassador program for County employees to be
responsible for monitoring recycling and composting bins in their designated work area
and provide information on upcoming sustainability training available to County staff.
♦ Encourage recycling coordinators from each department to meet routinely to
share ideas, coordinate efforts, and provide progress reports.
♦ Assign the Internal Services Department or a partner department to oversee
waste reduction for departments without facilities staff.
Apply for a Productivity Investment Fund grant (or similar grant) to implement a pilot
program within the County family to fully implement Roadmap recommendations.
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Conclusion and Next Steps
Achieving a truly sustainable waste management future for the County is a complex and
challenging goal; however, the potential rewards are substantial and well worth the effort,
including:
Reducing dependence on landfills and waste exportation.
Conserving natural resources.
Protecting the environment.
Striving for a cost-effective waste management system.
Creating green jobs.
Facilitating community-based programs and venues through which to instill
positive change.
The Working Group requests that the Board approve this Roadmap to allow for preparation of
detailed implementation plans consistent with the focus areas, strategies, and recommended
initiatives described in this Roadmap. Appendix C summarizes the program and policy options
identified for each initiative in the Roadmap.
The Working Group recommends that the County initiate a stakeholder engagement process
that will vet prospective recommendations from this Roadmap and solicit additional
suggestions and feedback from residents, businesses, public agencies, the waste industry,
environmental organizations, and any other interested stakeholders. Through a transparent
stakeholder process, the Working Group recommends developing more detailed
implementation plans with a budget, timeline, and staffing plan, as appropriate. In addition, for
County operations, the Working Group recommends that participating departments continue
to meet on a regular basis to share ideas, identify key strategies for implementation, and
develop waste reduction projects and/or programs that are consistent with the Roadmap.
It is also the recommendation of the Working Group that, subject to Board approval, the
Roadmap be shared with residents, businesses, public agencies, the waste industry,
environmental organizations, and other interested stakeholders, which will allow other entities
to develop their own plans and strategies to reduce waste generation and disposal.
APPENDIX ADEFINITIONS
AB 32 The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 requiresCalifornia to reduce its GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 — areduction of approximately 15 percent below emissions expectedunder a “business as usual” scenario.
AB 341 Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law. As of July 1, 2012,California requires all businesses that generate four (4) or morecubic yards of garbage per week and multi-family dwellings with five(5) or more units to recycle. The specific statutory language for thelaw (Assembly Bill 341) can be found in the State's PublicResources Code: PRC Division 30, Part 3, Chapter 12.8,Section 42649.
AlternativeTechnology
Refers to a technology capable of processing residual municipalsolid waste (MSW), such as conversion technology, transformation,or other emerging technologies, in lieu of land disposal.
AnaerobicDigestion
A series of biological processes in which microorganisms breakdown biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen.
Beneficial UseMaterials
Refers to: (1) solid waste that has been source-separated orotherwise processed and put to a beneficial use at a facility, orseparated or otherwise diverted from the waste stream and exportedfrom the facility, for purposes of recycling or reuse, and shallinclude, but not be limited to, green waste, wood waste, asphalt,concrete, or dirt; (2) clean dirt imported to cover and prepare interimand final fill slopes for planting and for berms; or (3) all AlternativeDaily Cover materials types.
Biomass Any organic material not derived from fossil fuels, such asagricultural crop residues, bark, lawn, yard and garden clippings,leaves, silvicultural residue, tree and brush pruning, wood and woodchips, and wood waste, including these materials when separatedfrom other waste streams. ‘Biomass’ or ‘biomass waste’ does notinclude material containing sewage sludge, industrial sludge,medical waste, hazardous waste, or either high-level or low-levelradioactive waste.
CaliforniaProductStewardshipCouncil (CPSC)
The California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) is a network oflocal governments, non-government organizations, businesses, andindividuals supporting policies and projects where producers sharein the responsibility for managing problem products at end of lifecommonly known as extended producer responsibility (EPR).
California StateAssociation ofCounties (CSAC)
The primary purpose of the California State Association of Counties(CSAC) is to represent county government before the CaliforniaLegislature, administrative agencies and the federal government.CSAC places a strong emphasis on educating the public about thevalue and need for county programs and services.
APPENDIX ADEFINITIONS
Compost The product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition oforganic wastes that are source separated from the municipal solidwaste stream, or which are separated at a centralized facility.Compost includes vegetable, yard, and wood wastes which are nothazardous waste.
Compostable Composed of materials such as vegetable matter, paper, cardboard,and plastics that must (1) break down to carbon dioxide, water,inorganic compounds, and biomass at a rate similar to paper,(2) disintegrate into small pieces within 90 days, so that the originalproduct is not visually distinguishable in the compost, and (3) leaveno toxic residue.
Composting Defined in PRC, Section 40116.1 as "the controlled or uncontrolledbiological decomposition of organic wastes." Further defined inCCR, Title 14, Section 17225.14 as “a controlled microbialdegradation of organic wastes yielding a safe and nuisance freeproduct.”
ConversionTechnologies
Refers to a wide array of technologies capable of converting post-recycled or residual solid waste into useful products, green fuels,and renewable energy through non-combustion thermal, chemical,or biological processes. Conversion technologies may includemechanical processes when combined with a non‐combustionthermal, chemical, or biological conversion process.
County The County of Los Angeles including the Board of Supervisors asthe legislative and executive body of county government, and anydesignated agency responsible for solid waste management.
County GreenPurchasingPolicy
Los Angeles County Policy P-1050, Purchase of EnvironmentallyPreferable Products, established objectives for the purchase ofproducts commonly used by County departments. Under thisPurchasing Policy, the County’s developed a 5-year plan to phase-incategories of certified goods. Easy to adopt purchasing categories(e.g., paper, cleaning supplies) were implemented and a pricingadvantage for green products is in place.
Countywide The incorporated cities within the county and the unincorporatedareas of the county.
CurbsideCollection
The collection of solid waste, recyclables, or other materials placedin front of the property (curbside) by the generator who then returnsthe containers to their normal location after they have been emptied.Curbside collection is generally used in the collection of residentialsolid wastes and recyclables, or other materials. It is not normallyused in commercial, institutional, or industrial solid waste collection.
CRV California Redemption Value (CRV) is a deposit paid on sales ofcertain recyclable beverage containers in California.
APPENDIX ADEFINITIONS
Direct Haul Hauling of collected solid waste in the collection vehicle from itspoint of collection to a solid waste management facility (materialsrecovery, mulching, composting, waste-to-energy, or landfillfacilities).
Disposal The final deposition of solid waste onto land, into the atmosphere, orinto the waters of the state; the management of solid waste throughlandfill disposal or transformation at a permitted solid waste facility;the final deposition of solid wastes onto the land; "the managementof solid waste through landfilling or transformation at permitted solidwaste facility.
Diversion The act of diverting one or more designated materials from a solidwaste stream. Diversion typically occurs at the point of generation.Normally, diversion is used to divert recyclables for separatecollection, but it may also be used to prevent certain materials frombeing managed with the rest of a solid waste stream.
ExtendedProducerResponsibility(EPR)
A mandatory form of product stewardship that includes, at aminimum, the requirement that the producer’s responsibility for theirproduct extends to the post-consumer management of that productand its packaging. There are two related features of EPR policy: (1)the shifting of management and financial responsibility upstream tothe producer and away from municipalities, and (2) to provideincentives to producers to incorporate environmental considerationsin the design of their products.
Flow Controls Legal provisions that allow state and local governments to designatethe places where MSW is taken for processing, treatment, ordisposal. Flow controls may take the form of a “wasteshed”restriction, limits on the amount of waste from individualjurisdictions, host fees, and/or outright bans on the importation ofsolid waste.
Green Waste Organic wastes from lawn, tree, horticultural, and landscapingservices including leaves, grass clippings, tree prunings, large cutwaste timber and stumps, and other materials which are generatedby commercial or nonresidential activities, as well as similarmaterials generated by homeowners from their lawns and gardens.
HouseholdHazardousWaste (HHW)
Solid waste generated by residential generators that exhibit thecharacteristics of a hazardous waste as established by UnitedStates Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) hazardous wasteregulations (USEPA 1980.) These wastes are exempt from theResource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous wasteregulatory requirements, but may be included in state regulations.
Hydration station Is a water fountain that provides a filtration unit designed to facilitatethe filling of reusable water bottles and there by promote reuse andeliminate the need for disposable plastic water bottles.
APPENDIX ADEFINITIONS
Landfill A waste management unit at which waste is discharged in or onland for disposal. It does not include surface impoundment, wastepile, land treatment unit, injection well, or soil amendments.
Lean Operations Reducing the amount of raw materials needed.MaterialsRecovery Facility(MRF)
A solid waste facility where solid wastes or recyclable materials aresorted or separated, by hand or by use of machinery, for thepurposes of recycling, composting, or use as feedstock foralternative technology facilities.
Organic Material containing carbon and hydrogen. Organic material in[municipal solid waste] includes the biomass components of thewaste stream as well as hydrocarbons usually derived from fossilsources (e.g., most plastics, polymers, the majority of waste tirecomponents, and petroleum residues).
Paperless Office Refers to a County initiative to eliminate paper and digitize filingsystems and internal processes.
Pay as you throw In communities with pay-as-you-throw programs (also known as unitpricing or variable-rate pricing), residents are charged for thecollection of municipal solid waste—ordinary household trash—based on the amount they throw away. This creates a directeconomic incentive to recycle more and to generate less waste.
Post-Recycled Material remaining after recycling that would have otherwise gone todisposal
Price Signal Information conveyed via the price charged for a product.
PutrescibleWaste
Solid wastes that are capable of being decomposed by micro-organisms with sufficient rapidity as to cause nuisances because ofodors, vectors, gases or other offensive conditions, and includematerials such as, but not limited to, food wastes, offal and deadanimals.
Recovery Refers to any waste management operation that diverts a materialfrom the waste stream and which results in a product with apotential economic or ecological benefit. Recovery mainly refers tothe following operations 1) re-use, 2) material recovery such asrecycling 3) biological recovery such as composting, and 4) energyrecovery such as fuel production
Recycling The process of collecting, sorting, cleansing, treating, andreconstituting materials that would otherwise become solid waste,and returning them to the economic mainstream in the form of rawmaterial for new, reused, or reconstituted products which meet thequality standards necessary to be used in the marketplace.
Removal Defined in CCR, Title 27, Section 20164 as “the act of taking solidwastes from the place of waste generation either by an approvedcollection agent or by a person in control of the premises.”
APPENDIX ADEFINITIONS
Residual SolidWaste
Refers to the post-recycled content or remaining solid waste afterMSW has gone through the recycling, source reduction, and reusemethod.
Rubbish Non-putrescible solid wastes such as ashes, paper cardboard, tincans, yard clippings, wood, glass, bedding, crockery, plastics,rubber by-products, or litter.
Salvaging The controlled removal of waste material for utilization.
Scavenging Defined in CCR, Title 27, Section 20164 as “the uncontrolled and/orunauthorized removal of solid waste materials, or recyclablematerial at a solid waste facility.”
Sharps Means hypodermic needles, pen needles, intravenous needles,lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for thedelivery of medications.
Solid Waste All putrescible and nonputrescible solid, semisolid, and liquidwastes, including garbage, trash, refuse, paper, rubbish, ashes,industrial wastes, demolition and construction wastes, abandonedvehicles and parts thereof, discarded home and industrialappliances, dewatered, treated, or chemically fixed sewage sludgewhich is not hazardous waste, manure, vegetable or animal solidand semisolid wastes, and other discarded solid and semisolidwastes.
(b) ‘Solid waste’ does not include any of the following wastes: (1)Hazardous waste, as defined in Section 40141. (2) Radioactivewaste regulated pursuant to the Radiation Control Law (Chapter 8(commencing with Section 114960) of Part 9 of Division 104 of the[HSC]). (3) Medical waste regulated pursuant to the Medical WasteManagement Act (Part 14 (commencing with Section 117600) ofDivision 104 of the [HSC]). Untreated medical waste shall not bedisposed of in a solid waste landfill, as defined in Section 40195.1.Medical waste that has been treated and deemed to be solid wasteshall be regulated pursuant to this division.”
Solid WasteDisposal
Refers to the final deposition of solid waste onto land, into theatmosphere, or into the waters of the state, as defined in PRC,Section 40192; or the management of solid waste through landfillingor transformation at a permitted solid waste facility.
Solid WasteManagement
A planned program for effectively controlling the generation,storage, collection, transportation, processing and reuse, conversionor disposal of solid wastes in a safe, sanitary, aestheticallyacceptable, environmentally sound and economical manner. Itincludes all administrative, financial, environmental, legal andplanning functions as well as the operational aspects of solid waste
APPENDIX ADEFINITIONS
handling, disposal and resource recovery systems necessary toachieve established objectives.”
State Refers to the State of CaliforniaSustainable Ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needsToxic /Hazardous
Chemical hazards and toxic substances pose a wide range of healthhazards (such as irritation, sensitization, and carcinogenicity) andphysical hazards (such as flammability, corrosion, and reactivity).
Transfer Station Refers to a facility that receives unprocessed waste, temporarilystores it, and ships it off-site to another facility.
Universal Waste EPA's universal waste regulations streamline hazardous wastemanagement standards for federally designated "universal wastes,"which include: batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipmentand bulbs (lamps). The regulations govern the collection andmanagement of these widely generated wastes, thus facilitatingenvironmentally sound collection and proper recycling or treatment.
U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency
The United States agency charged with setting policy andguidelines, and carrying out legal mandates for the protection ofnational interests in environmental resources.
Waste Material eliminated or discarded as no longer wanted, useful, orrequired.
Waste-Free/Zero-Waste
Optimally manage and reduce solid waste by diverting from wastestream and maximizing recycling opportunities to eventually achieve95% landfill diversion.
Wasteshed Refers to a geographical area from which waste can logically bedelivered to a given disposal facility. This term is synonymous withwaste service area.
Waste Stream Refers to the total flow of solid waste from homes, businesses,institutions, and manufacturing plants that must be recycled, reused,composted, converted to useful products or disposed of in a landfill;or any segment thereof, such as the "residential waste stream" orthe "recyclable waste stream."
Waste-to-Energy Refers to an incineration process in which the organic fraction ofsolid waste is combusted and the released heat is utilized togenerate hot water, steam, and electric power, leaving the inorganicfraction (ash) as a residue.
APPENDIX B
Program Description Focus Area
Battery Recycling Program Educates and encourages County residents to properly dispose of their household
batteries. Public Works partnered with County Public Library to collect household
batteries at designated libraries throughout the County. The program was designed
to offer residents a free and convenient outlet to dispose of common household
batteries such as Dry Cell Batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9-Volt), Rechargeable Batteries
(used in cell phones and power tools), and Button Cell Batteries (used in watches,
cameras, and hearing aids).
Unincorporated
County Areas
County Green Building Program
• Drought-Tolerant Landscaping
Ordinance
• County Green Building Code
• Low Impact Development Standards
Ordinance
In 2008, Los Angeles County adopted the Green Building Program, which included
the Drought-Tolerant Landscaping, Green Building, and Low Impact Development
Ordinances (the Ordinances), and created an Implementation Task Force and
Technical Manual.
• This ordinance establishes drought tolerant landscaping design requirements in
Title 31 of the Los Angeles County Code
• The 2011 County of Los Angeles Green Building Standards Code regulates the
construction of new residential buildings for the purpose of improving public health,
safety, and general welfare. This is accomplished by enhancing the design and
construction of buildings to reduce their negative impact on the environment and
encouraging sustainable construction practices.
• The ordinance provides guidance for the implementation of stormwater quality
control measures in new development and redevelopment projects in
unincorporated areas of the County with the intention of improving water quality
and mitigating potential water quality impacts from stormwater and non-
stormwater discharges.
Unincorporated
County Areas
Community Climate Action Plan To reduce the impacts of climate change, the County has set a target to reduce GHG
emissions from community activities in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles
County by at least 11% below 2010 levels by 2020. This Community Climate Action
Plan (CCAP) describes the County’s plan for achieving this goal, including specific
strategy areas for each of the major emissions sectors, and provides details on the
2010 and projected 2020 emissions in the unincorporated areas. The CCAP is a
component of the Los Angeles County General Plan.
Unincorporated
County Areas
Construction & Debris Ordinance The Ordinance requires projects in the unincorporated areas to recycle or reuse 50
percent of the debris generated thereby increasing the diversion of construction
and demolition debris from disposal facilities.
Unincorporated
County Areas and
County Operations
County Energy Investment Program The Energy Investment Program (EIP) was approved by the Board of Supervisors in
2012. The EIP is a “Revolving Loan Fund” program which uses ARRA seed funding to
implement efficiency projects. Department buildings which benefit from the
projects repay the EIP fund through their utility savings until the project costs are
paid back.
Unincorporated
County Areas and
County Operations
County Existing Building LEED
Certifications
In 2008 the County adopted an ordinance requiring all new County facilities be LEED
certified.
County Operations
County-wide Recycled Water Conversion
Projects
Public Works has implemented various projects to recycle wastewater and either
use it to recharge groundwater supplies, or to distribute for landscape and
industrial uses
through an expanding delivery infrastructure. ISD, Parks and Sheriff have also
contributed to this program.
Countywide
DPH “Video Direct Observed Therapy” This is a pilot program under development to reduce vehicle trips by staff.
Currently, PH staff travel to various locations to directly observe that TB clients
ingest their daily dosage of medicine. The pilot would allow the TB client to be
observed via video (cell phone, Skype, etc.) by PH staff housed at a PH facility. This
would reduce vehicular travel and staff time involved in ensuring the client takes
their full course of daily medication.
County Operations
DPH Healthy Design Proposal In 2009, the Board of Supervisors instructed DPH, DRP, DPW and other
departments to develop design standards for building pedestrian, transit, and
bicycle friendly developments, promote walking and other outdoor physical
activities, which will ultimately be incorporated into the County’s Public Works
design standards, and the DRP Healthy Design Ordinance. This effort is ongoing in
the form of the Healthy Design Workgroup.
County Operations
Existing Sustainability Efforts and County Programs
APPENDIX B
Existing Sustainability Efforts and County ProgramsDPR Sustainable Park Design The Department of Parks and Recreation has developed Park Design Guidelines to
provide guidance toward design and construction of sustainable park facilities.
These guidelines have already been used to provide numerous sustainability
improvements at Willowbrook Park, Crescenta Valley Dog Park, Peck Park and the
MLK Exercise Garden.
County Operations
DPW Sustainability Infrastructure Rating
System
In 2011, in order to establish a common platform to define sustainable
infrastructure, DPW adopted EnvISIonTM, the Institute for Sustainable
Infrastructure (ISI) sustainability rating system. EnvISIonTM certification applies to
civil infrastructure of all types and provides rating of the project’s economic, social,
and environmental impact during design, planning, construction, and maintenance
phases.
County Operations
DPW Sustainable Pavement Program Public Works has developed a more sustainable and cost effective program for
rehabilitation, construction, and maintenance of its road network. This approach
focuses on addressing roads that are in good condition first (where full sub-grade
replacement isn’t required), incorporating materials from recycled tires and
aggregates from existing pavement and modifying the existing materials in-place by
also adding cement to the sub-grade beneath the pavement to improve its strength.
Since 2009 Public Works has completed 24 projects utilizing sustainable treatments.
These projects have resulted in very significant reductions in energy usage,
greenhouse gas emissions, and cost.
Unincorporated
County Areas
Electric Vehicle Infrastructure On March 5, 2013, ISD executed a Memorandum of Agreement with the South
Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) to receive grant funding of
$120,000, and a Grant Agreement with Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction
Review Committee to accept grant funding of $192,333, to partially fund the
purchase and installation of electric
vehicle charging devices at various County facilities. On November 20, 2013, ISD
awarded master agreements for the required equipment based on a competitive
solicitation process. As required by the AQMD grant, the equipment will be
configured to collect data on each Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment charge with
revenue grade meters for accuracy of data. ISD is now working with departments to
schedule
equipment installations during 2014.
County Operations
Expanded Polystyrene Food Container
Eradication in County Buildings
The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors directed the Department of Public Works to
phase out the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) food packaging at all County
operations, to include restricting the purchase and use of all EPS food containers at
County facilities, offices, County-managed concessions, and by commercial food
and beverage suppliers at County-permitted or -sponsered events.
County Operations
Farm Restoration at Pitchess Detention
Center (PDC)
Farm operations offsets significant inmate food costs, provides vocational and
educational opportunities for jail inmates, lowers the carbon footprint, and ensures
food supply for inmates. The farm program includes bees and honey production,
vermiculture, small scale protein production (tilapia and chickens), greenhouse
plant propagation, and community gardens. Other planned programs will minimize
water use and preserve the aquifer beneath PDC, eliminate the need for inorganic
soil amendments, pesticides and herbicides, restore the health of the soil and
watershed, enhance Education Based Incarceration programs, and ensure an
optimal and sustainable source of inmate food with significant cost savings to the
County.
County Operations
Green Purchasing Policy In 1994, County adopted a procurement policy for purchase of recyclable materials
and recycled-content products. In 1998, the policy expanded to include preference
of re-refined motor oil for use in County vehicles if the re-refined oil is comparable
and within a 5% cost. In 2000, County created a cooperative that enables
government entities to join in purchasing recycled-content paper to stimulate the
paper recycling market. It enables cities to benefit from the advantage of collective
purchasing power, which reduces the cost for the paper. In 2007, County adopted
stronger green purchasing policies to encourage manufacturers and vendors to
reduce environmental impacts in production and distribution.
County Operations
Household Hazardous Waste Program
(HHW)
Provides residents with a convenient outlet to dispose of their HHW/E-waste at a
permanent center or collection event in various communities throughout the
County. These events provide residents with a free means to dispose of their toxic,
poisonous, corrosive, flammable, and combustible household items, as well as
electronic waste.
Countywide
APPENDIX B
Existing Sustainability Efforts and County ProgramsIllegal Dumping Reporting Illegal dumping is any unauthorized disposal of waste on any public or private
property. This program partners with residents to report illegally dumped material
in the County unincorporated areas.
Unincorporated
County Areas
LACoMax Materials Exchange Program Designed to divert usable materials from disposal. Serves as an electronic
marketplace where parties can exchanges materials at no cost. Users of this on-line
service can post or search listings of a wide variety of available and wanted
materials.
Countywide
Library Book Recycling The County of Los Angeles Public Library recycles 26,000 lbs. of books and paper
yearly. By collecting books which have reached the end of their usefulness and
diverting them
from landfills, the Public Library takes a further step toward being a responsible
steward of the environment.
Unincorporated
County Areas
Pharmaceuticals - No Drugs Down the
Drain
Provides for the proper collection and disposal of unused, unwanted, and expired
medications.
Countywide
Plastic Bag Ban An ordinance banning single-use plastic carryout bags at stores in the County
unincorporated areas, while requiring they charge 10-cents for each paper carryout
bag sold to a customer. The 10-cent charge on paper bags is not subject to State
sales tax and will be retained by stores for use in complying with the ordinance.
Unincorporated
County Areas
Recycling Market Development Zone
(RMDZ)
Combines recycling with economic development to fuel new businesses, expand
existing ones, create jobs, and divert waste from landfills. It also provides business
and technical assistance, product marketing, and financial assistance to businesses
that manufacture a recycled-content product or process materials for recycling.
Manufacturing or processing must occur within the RMDZ. Developed by the
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) in
partnership with local jurisdictions.
Countywide
Residential Recycling Teaches residents how to reduce the amount of waste they create. Unincorporated
County Areas
School Source Reduction Programs Provides waste consultation to schools in unincorporated areas and youth
education programs to teach students about recycling and waste reduction.
Unincorporated
County Areas
Scrap Metal Pitchess Detention Center and Men's Central Jail, recycle scrap metal, such as tin,
copper, and aluminum. Under Project Isaiah, County Sheriff's Department and
other law enforcement agencies recycle confiscated weapons into rebar.
County Operations
Sharps Proper collection and disposal of home-generated sharps waste such as hypodermic
needles, pen needles, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices that are used
to penetrate the skin for the delivery of medications. In addition, state approved
containers are distributed to elderly and disabled residents.
Countywide
Sheriff/DPW Composting Pilot Pitchess Detention Center (PDC) green waste and food waste is composted and
used as a soil amendment for the PDC farm. This reduces waste going to landfills
and the attendant transportation costs and dump fees. Compost production will
provide soil amendments for Department farm operations.
County Operations
Smart Business Helps businesses reduce the trash they generate and throw away. If a business is
located in unincorporated Los Angeles County, the Business Recycling Consultants
can assist in setting up or expanding waste prevention and recycling programs by
providing consultation to reduce waste at no charge.
Unincorporated
County Areas
Smart Gardening Offers free workshops to all County residents so they can learn about backyard
composting, worm composting, grass recycling, water-wise gardening, and fire-wise
gardening.
Countywide
Solid Waste Information Management
System (SWIMS)
Compiles disposal data collected from solid waste enterprises within the County. Countywide
APPENDIX B
Existing Sustainability Efforts and County ProgramsSouthern California Regional Energy
Network (SoCalREN)
The Southern California Regional Energy Network (SoCalREN) is a local government
regional energy network (REN) pilot project serving public agencies and their
constituents in the Southern California Edison (SCE) and Southern California Gas
Company (SCG) service territories. Los Angeles County, will act as fiscal agent and
contractor, and will lead a governance committee of representatives from the cities
and counties served by the SoCalREN (including cities, counties and other selected
public agencies in the SCE/SCG service territories). SoCalREN will reach nearly half
of the cities in California within all or portions of the following counties: Los
Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern, Tulare,
Inyo, Mono (and very small portions of King and Fresno).
Unincorporated
County Areas and
County Operations
Sustainable Beaches Program Water conservation measures in the form of high efficiency restroom fixture
replacements, drought tolerant landscaping, and more efficient irrigation/controls.
Alternative fuel vehicle replacements are ongoing, and nearing a total of 25% of
DBH fleet. Installation of additional bike racks, LED lighting, and EV charging stations
are also underway.
County Operations
Tire collection Provides education on tire issues, conducts waste tire collection events, and
constructs demonstration projects featuring practical uses for recycled tires. The
waste tire events are rotated to different County areas for residents to drop off
tires for free.
Unincorporated
County Areas
TTC North County Tax Payment
Processing
For two days each December and two days each April, taxpayers can pay their
property tax bills in person in the City of Lancaster. This decreases emissions and air
pollution by reducing the number of taxpayers driving downtown to make these
payments.
Unincorporated
County Areas
Youth Education Programs that reach out to elementary and secondary school students to teach
them about helping the environment and encourages them to make a difference in
their local environment by creating campus eco-projects. It also provides
development training and personalized support for school teachers including a
resource guide.
Countywide
APPENDIX C
CostsStakeholders*
County Unincorporated CommunitiesPolicy & Program Options
Time
Fram
e
Resident
Business
Other Public
Agency
**
Wast
eHaule
r/Opera
tor
Start-
upco
st
Annualco
sts
Strategy 1: Quality Programs and ServicesA Initiative: Institutionalize Waste Prevention and Source Reduction
A1Develop model purchasing guide/policy for schools and businesses (e.g., fork dispensers instead of individually
wrapped forks, recycled content office paper). S Y Y LOW
A2 Explore and, if feasible, develop and implement more aggressive reuse programs. S M L
A2.a Consider policies to discourage single-use water bottles in favor of reusable water bottles. M MED LOW
A2.bResearch the feasibility of assigning redemption fees on items other than existing CRV beverage containers andexpanding the list of CRV beverage containers to boost recycling and reuse (e.g. glass wine or liquor bottles).
M MED LOW
A2.c Encourage local businesses to charge deposits to promote reuse of certain products (e.g. reusable milk bottles).L Y Y Y Y MED MED
A2.d Enable and encourage reusable to-go containers. M Y Y LOW
A2.eEvaluate the most effective methods for implementing and enforcing policies such as bans, requirements, orordinances and determine the impact on residents and businesses. M Y Y Y Y MED MED
A2.f
Promote reuse and repair for residents, businesses, non-profits and local governments with repair workshops(Repair Café and iFixit models); web-based directories for sharing reusable materials such as LACoMAX, theCounty’s free materials exchange network; thrift stores and repair shops; reuse depots like East Bay Depot forCreative Reuse; and/or Tool Lending Libraries. S LOW
B Initiative: Advocate for Extended Producer and Manufacturer Responsibility
B1Establish a working group with businesses, waste haulers and other interested stakeholders to develop solutions
that promote EPR while ensuring materials continue to be collected and managed safely and efficiently.S Y Y Y Y MED
B2
Explore the feasibility of establishing a County EPR ordinance for materials such as pharmaceuticals, needles,
carpet, mattresses, and battery management, while ensuring collected items are properly managed in accordance
to Federal, State and local laws using environmentally sound practices. S Y MED
B2.aConsider legal requirements for producers to phase out toxic materials or to take back these products at the end of
life. S Y MED
B3
Support voluntary take-back initiatives. Encourage businesses and institutions to take back designated products
and packaging they sell and are sold by others in their area (especially items that are toxic in their manufacture,
use, or disposal, and/or are not currently reusable, recyclable or compostable locally). S Y LOW
B4Explore and implement, if feasible, a Green Business Certification that incentivizes local businesses to reduce
their waste in operations and products. M Y Y MED LOW
B5Promote EPR solutions that recognize fiscal challenges for small businesses and avoid, to the extent possible,
increased cost to consumers. M Y Y Y LOW LOW
C Initiative: Make Sustainability Easy and Discourage "Trashing"
C1Prior to issuing new contracts, evaluate the sustainability of the existing solid waste collection system and modify
if necessary, considering: S,M, L Y Y Y Y MED LOW
C1.a The effectiveness of the system; M, L Y Y Y Y LOW LOW
C1.b Customer satisfaction; and M, L Y Y Y Y LOW LOW
C1.cEffectiveness of the programs and policies in helping to meet and exceed the State’s waste diversion mandates,other State and County priorities, and the disposal reduction targets established in this Roadmap.
M, L Y Y Y Y MED LOW
C2
Evaluate and implement, if feasible, alternative trash collection methods such as: reducing trash collection
frequency; adjusting the size of bins; implementing a volume or weight-based trash collection system (pay as you
throw); collecting additional organics in the green waste bin; and/or a two-bin collection system (wet and dry)
processed at a MRF for separation and recovery. L Y Y Y Y HIGH
C3Explore and implement, if feasible, revisions to current and future Franchise and Garbage Disposal District waste
hauler contracts to advance the goals of the Roadmap, while respecting existing contracts. Consider:L Y MED
C3.a Eliminating the collection of unlimited quantities of waste. M Y MED
C3.b Creating incentives or requirements to meet specific diversion standards (e.g. 80% by 2025). L Y MED
C3.c Developing incentives for local disposal to nearest landfill or alternatives to landfills. L Y MED
C3.dRevising or eliminating Garbage Disposal Districts including possibly converting the residential or commercialcustomers to the franchise system. L Y MED
C4
Explore and implement, with the concurrence of residents and businesses, modification to the County Code to
include warnings and penalties for not recycling, and create a mechanism to monitor and enforce recycling (e.g.,
cameras on waste collection vehicles). S LOW MED
C5 Create and support an innovative “Tech Lab” incubator for reuse/recycle enterprise development.
C6Research the feasibility of implementing product bans or disposal bans where sustainable alternatives are readily
available and reasonable. S LOW
C7Encourage additional recycling receptacles to be placed and maintained in business corridors, especially adjacent
to existing public trash receptacles. S LOW
D Initiative: Recover Organics, including Food Waste, to the Highest and Best Uses
D1Collaborate with waste haulers to develop organics collection and diversion programs in County Unincorporated
Communities, where feasible. L Y Y Y Y LOW MED
D2 Explore and implement, if feasible, Food DROP for unused edibles. M Y Y Y Y MED MED
D2.aCreate a database of large food waste generators such as restaurants, cafeterias, hotels, and large event venuesin County Unincorporated Communities. S LOW
D2.bExplore and establish partnerships with food service providers, businesses, or non-profits for development andoperation of Food DROP. M Y Y MED
D2.c Educate businesses on Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act to address liability concerns. S Y MED
D3Research the feasibility of a mobile organics collection system for specific events like concerts and large picnic
events. M Y Y MED
D4Consider establishing an ordinance for the food service industry to provide compostable take-out containers and
utensils, once options to compost or recover such materials are widely available. M Y Y Y Y MED LOW
E Initiative: Maximize Diversion of Construction and Demolition (C&D) DebrisE1 Revise the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling and Reuse Ordinance to: S Y Y Y Y LOW MED
E1.aMatch new requirements established by the County’s Green Building Ordinance and State Green Building Code andincorporate more green building standards. S LOW
E1.bIncrease the diversion requirement to 70 percent for mixed C&D, 100 percent for all asphalt and concrete,unpainted wood, glass, sediment, and green waste. S LOW
E2 Consider incentives to promote deconstruction and the use of salvaged materials. S LOW
E2.a Prepare deconstruction services guide. S LOW
E2.bSupport used building materials outlets and stores as well as Resource Recovery Centers at landfills and transferstations that serve the unincorporated areas of the County. S Y Y LOW
E3Support historic preservation and those seeking to restore and reuse buildings, include "adaptive reuse" as a
priority in building standards and encourage the remodeling or repurposing of buildings that are still functional.M Y Y LOW
Strategy 2: Measuring ResultsA Initiative: Waste Sector Assessment
A1 Conduct assessment of waste sectors that are sending waste to disposal facilities. S Y Y Y Y MED MED
A1.a
Conduct regular Waste Characterization Studies for entire County Unincorporated Communities (all sectors) at 5-10year intervals to determine material types being disposed which could ultimately be recycled. Include MRFs andtransfer stations, as well as self-haul, scavenging, and recycling drop off centers to determine accurate generationand diversion rates. S LOW
APPENDIX C
CostsStakeholders*
County Unincorporated CommunitiesPolicy & Program Options
Time
Fram
e
Resident
Business
Other Public
Agency
**
Wast
eHaule
r/Opera
tor
Start-
upco
st
Annualco
sts
A1.bConduct smaller sample audits of material types disposed that could be recycled, using hauler loads wherefeasible. S LOW
A1.cAssess the proportion of the waste that the County controls (e.g. through its franchise system) and quantities ofrecycling and organic waste diversion. S LOW
A1.d Examine the level of detail available in assessing the quantities from the various waste sectors. S LOW
A1.e Assess drivers that result in open market/self haulers sending waste to disposal. S LOW
A1.f Partner with academia to help mine data collected from waste assessments. S LOW
A2
Develop metrics for the movement of waste through the various stages of the solid waste management system,
and model the system for the purpose of assessing how new programs could affect the flow of waste through the
system. M MED MED
A3 Account for scavenging and non-curbside recycling at recycling centers. M MED
A4 Collaborate with organizations to offer waste stream studies to large businesses. S MED
A4.a Build partnerships with hospitals, schools, hotels, and large manufacturers. S MED
BInitiative: Evaluate and Measure the Success of Existing Programs and Consider New
Programs
B1Create a separate framework/template to monitor and measure the success of each new proposed program or
initiative as well as existing programs. S LOW
B1.aObtain feedback from residents and businesses on existing programs prior to implementing new policies andstandards. S Y Y LOW
B2 Establish benchmarks tied to waste reduction goals – disposal, recycling, other diversion. S LOW
B2.aLook into ways to get more data for recycling and waste reduction such as collaboration with haulers and materialscollection and processing facilities. S Y LOW
B2.b Develop a tracking tool to measure and assess source reduction. M MED
B3Analyze the lifecycle effects of non-recyclable, single-use materials (i.e. consumer rubber products, packaging,
etc.) and recycled materials. M MED
B3.a Partner with a research institution/university for assistance with lifecycle assessments. M Y MED
B3.b This lifecycle assessment would be the basis for future action by the County to phase out or ban these materials.L MED
B4Create an Environmental Benefits Calculator for additional evaluation and benchmarking of programs or initiatives
to recognize external benefits and successes such as greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and water conservation.M MED
CInitiative: Ensure Sustainable Funding and Alignment of Incentives with Program
Goals
C1 Annually review program expenditures and revenues to ensure efficiencies and sustainable funding.S LOW MED
C2Evaluate and modify, if needed, existing revenue streams such as the Solid Waste Generation Service charge
(SWGSC), to mitigate funding lost from waste reduction efforts, and align incentives with waste reduction goals.M, L Y MED
C2.a Identify funding mechanisms/sources for current programs, and estimate future revenues from those sources. S Y MED
C2.b
If revenues are projected to decline and programs cannot be realigned to mitigate this impact, identify options toaugment revenue streams or accomplish the goals of the programs through other mechanisms, in order to ensureadequate funding is available to carry out programs and policies. M, L Y MED
C3Identify options for program funding adjustments that incentivize recycling and fund diversion programs, in
compliance with Prop 218 and Prop 26, as applicable. S Y Y Y LOW
C4Advocate for EPR to reduce County costs for collecting abandoned materials in road right-of-ways, such as paint,
carpet, furniture, and mattresses. M Y MED
C4.a Realize savings from program efficiencies and efforts such as EPR to ensure sustainable program funding. L LOW
C5 Explore grant funding and loans to augment program funding. S LOW
C6Evaluate the financial impact of scavenging to recycling programs, and identify options to reduce the incidence of
scavenging. S LOW
Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure
AInitiative: Develop Conversion Technologies and Integrated Materials Recovery
Facilities
A1
Establish a streamlined and coordinated County permitting process for essential waste management facilities that
are environmentally safe and technically feasible located in County Unincorporated Communities, including
conversion technologies, material recovery facilities (MRFs), C&D processing facilities, transfer stations, etc.M Y Y MED
A2Develop educational pilot projects in County Unincorporated Communities to demonstrate the benefits and safety
of conversion technologies. L HIGH LOW
B Initiative: Organics Processing Infrastructure
B1
Evaluate options to encourage the development of local organics diversion facilities, including composting,
anaerobic digestion, and chipping/grinding operations, to assist businesses in the County Unincorporated
Communities with AB 1826 compliance. S LOW MED
B1.a Identify businesses that generate large amounts of food or green waste. S Y LOW
B1.bInvestigate opportunities to develop micro-composters or digesters in County unincorporated areas at largecommunity venues/facilities such as schools, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. S Y Y Y LOW
B1.c Investigate community digesters for food waste that cannot be donated. S Y Y Y Y LOW
B1.d Work with County CEO Real Estate Unit to identify possible sites for anaerobic digestion facilities. S LOW
B1.eInvestigate opportunities to develop organics diversion facilities at landfills located in County UnincorporatedCommunities. S Y LOW
B2Partner with select County Unincorporated Communities to institute pilot compost programs that can be replicated
on a broader scale if successful. M Y Y Y Y MED MED
C Initiative: Local Green Business & Market Development
C1Seek and encourage new green businesses and remanufacturing facilities to locate in the County Unincorporated
Communities. M Y LOW
C2 Determine how to incentivize the use of recycled products or re-use for businesses. S Y LOW
C2.a Seek out and promote grant funding for green businesses. S Y LOW
C3Incorporate provisions to ensure the availability of a viable market for materials removed during sediment basin
cleanouts. M Y Y LOW
D Initiative: Resource Recovery Centers and “Re-stores” in the Unincorporated Area
D1Explore adoption of an ordinance or policy to develop Resource Recovery Centers, as described in the Priority
Issues section, at all transfer stations and landfills in the unincorporated area. L Y MED LOW
D2 Explore processing of self-haul loads at transfer stations serving the County Unincorporated Communities. M Y MED
D3 Support private sector investment in Resource Recovery Centers for self-haul customers. M Y Y LOW
D4 Support siting of re-stores in County Unincorporated Communities throughout the County. M LOW
Strategy 4: Outreach and EducationA Initiative: Communication Action Plan
A1Develop an outline for a unique communication plan, focused at the unincorporated community level based on
demographics, resources, and commercial and industrial businesses in the targeted areas. S MED MED
A1.aInitiate a unifying slogan such as “Don’t Waste Your Waste” in the outreach campaign, promoting the Four R’s(Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink) to effect behavioral change in residents and businesses. S MED MED
A1.b Include face-to-face and targeted communication as part of the plan. S Y Y MED
A1.cCommunication plan will focus on the 11 Planning Areas identified in the County General Plan, to encouragemaximum participation by the community. S Y Y LOW
A2 Establish partnerships to build on and promote other sustainability programs. S LOW
APPENDIX C
CostsStakeholders*
County Unincorporated CommunitiesPolicy & Program Options
Time
Fram
e
Resident
Business
Other Public
Agency
**
Wast
eHaule
r/Opera
tor
Start-
upco
st
Annualco
sts
A3Create more opportunities for effective communication with businesses and residents through social media (Blog
posts, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.). S LOW MED
A4 Conduct surveys, organized by regions, to determine program effectiveness and solicit feedback. S Y Y LOW MED
A5Educate businesses on recycling programs that can help them reduce their disposal costs and increase their
recycling rate. S Y Y LOW
A6 Educate the public on policy issues relative to sustainability. S Y LOW
A6.a Produce one or more short videos to get the message out to the public.
A6.bPartner with town councils, homeowners associations, chambers of commerce, faith-based organizations, etc. toget messaging out.
A7Educate the public on the environmental benefits and safety of conversion technology facilities and inform them of
successful conversion projects. S Y Y LOW
A8
Develop a social marketing program to find the best means to encourage people to use public recycling bins. Use
a “Community-Based Social Marketing” style of analysis and focus groups to measure results and implement pilot
programs. S Y Y LOW
A9Develop an awareness campaign identifying problematic products (such as household hazardous waste,
disposable diapers and other single-use or hard-to-recycle items) and promote alternatives. S Y Y LOW
B Initiative: Stakeholder Engagement & Empowerment
B1 Incorporate incentives, awards, contests, etc. to encourage program participation by residents and businesses.M Y LOW
B2Create an interactive website with a forum for residents to report their individual sustainability projects or personal
waste reduction efforts. M Y LOW
B3Sponsor an annual Business Zero Waste Workshop, with featured speakers from various zero-waste businesses
demonstrating how to implement waste reduction programs in the workplace and how to measure progress.M Y MED
B4Host planning workshops with waste haulers, businesses, multi-family complex owners, and other stakeholders to
solicit feedback and foster collaboration. S Y Y LOW
B5
Collaborate with County Unincorporated Communities during development of each implementation plan to
encourage a broad commitment. Cultivate partnerships with like-minded entities to maximize education and
outreach capabilities. S Y MED
B6 Coordinate recycling events such as a fashion show or art show utilizing recycled and/or repurposed materials.S Y Y Y Y MED
B7 Develop case studies of model sustainability programs and promote best practices. S Y Y Y LOW
B8Incorporate multiple languages (Arabic, Armenian, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, etc.) in
educational and outreach efforts. S Y LOW
B9Support the formation of “Green Teams” (groups representing chambers of commerce, property managers, faith
community, schools, etc.) and encourage them to work with their networks to pursue Zero Waste. S LOW
B10
Establish a “Sustainable Community Leader” award for unincorporated County residents and businesses.
Residents and businesses would be recognized for taking initiative to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost in their
home or business. S Y Y Y Y LOW MED
*Public Works will be the lead agency with support from the Working Group
**Other Public Agency refers to cities, Sanitation Districts, Solid Waste Management Task Force, water agencies, etc.
Short Term (S) Mid Term (M) Long Term (L)
Capital Cost
Annual Cost
Time Frame
Low Med High
<500K 500K-5mil >5mil
<100K 100K-1mil >1mil
< 2 yrs. 2-6 yrs. 6+ yrs.
APPENDIX C
CostsStakeholders*
Regional/CountywidePolicy & Program Options
Tim
eFra
me
Res
iden
t
Busines
s
Oth
erPub
licAge
ncy*
*
Was
teHau
ler/
Ope
rato
r
Start-
upco
st
Annua
l cos
ts
Strategy 1: Quality Programs and ServicesA Initiative: Institutionalize Waste Prevention and Source Reduction
A1Evaluate with local municipalities and other public agencies opportunities to implement policies, such as EPR
Ordinances. M Y Y MED
A2 Share County purchasing guides with schools and other jurisdictions, as applicable.M Y Y MED
A3 Evaluate reuse programs.L Y MED
A3.a
If found feasible and implemented in County Unincorporated Communities, encourage cities to assign redemptionfees on items other than existing CRV beverage containers and expanding the list of CRV beverage containers toboost recycling and reuse (e.g. glass wine or liquor bottles). L Y MED
A3.b
Explore with local municipalities and other public agencies the most effective methods for them to implement andenforce policies such as bans, requirements, or ordinances. For policies determined to be more effective at aregional or Statewide level, encourage collaboration among cities and/or support legislation, as was done for theCounty’s policy to reduce plastic bag litter. L Y MED
B Initiative: Advocate for Extended Producer and Manufacturer Responsibility
B1
Be a strong advocate with partner agencies and municipalities for EPR policy, legislation and programs regionally,
statewide and nationally, particularly to drive improvements in product design that are environmentally
sustainable. S Y LOW
B2Encourage cities within the County to adopt by resolution any County EPR ordinances, once established, in order
to improve the benefits and economies of scale of such ordinances. M Y Y Y LOW
C Initiative: Recover Organics, including Food Waste, to the Highest and Best Uses
C1 Utilize the existing Smart Gardening program to promote the diversion of organic waste Countywide. S Y LOW MED
C1.a Provide food waste educational opportunities and composting resources for multi-family residents. M Y Y LOW
C1.b
Establish a network of community gardens and facilities for composting of food/yard waste, and utilize this localnetwork of micro-composters to produce compost from food and yard waste, which can be used for backyards andgardens at the neighborhood level. M Y Y MED MED
C2 Partner with School districts to ensure that every school in Los Angeles County has a garden. L Y Y Y Y LOW MED
C3 Explore and implement, if feasible, Food DROP for unused edibles. M Y Y Y Y MED MED
C3.aExplore and establish partnerships with food service providers, businesses, or non-profits for development andoperation of Food DROPs on a regional basis. M Y Y MED
D Initiative: Maximize Diversion of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Debris
D1Make the revised Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling and Reuse Ordinance available to other
jurisdictions as a template for adoption. S Y Y Y Y LOW MED
EInitiative: Maximize diversion of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and Electronic
Waste (E-Waste)
E1Work with cities and landfill operators to increase the number of permanent HHW and E Waste collection centers
where feasible. M Y Y HIGH MED
E1.a Determine how many centers would be needed along with expected upfront and operating costs. S LOW
E1.bIdentify potential locations convenient to the community to increase participation and reduce amount of toxicmaterials improperly disposed. S LOW
E2 Consider establishing swap stations for reusable products dropped off at permanent centers. M Y Y MED MED
E3 Maintain agreement with PaintCare to collect and recycle residential consumer paint. S Y Y LOW LOW
E4 Explore and implement, if feasible, a curbside HHW and E-Waste collection program. M Y Y Y MED MED
Strategy 2: Measuring Results
AInitiative: Evaluate and Measure the Success of Existing Programs and Consider New
Programs
A1Create a separate framework/template to monitor and measure the success of each new proposed Countywide
program or initiative, as well as existing programs. S Y Y Y LOW
A1.aObtain feedback from residents, businesses, jurisdictions and other partners, including municipalities and specialdistricts, on existing programs prior to implementing new policies and standards. S Y Y Y LOW
A2 Establish benchmarks tied to waste reduction goals – disposal, recycling, other diversion. S LOW
A2.aEncourage partner agencies to obtain and share more data for recycling and waste reduction, such as throughcollaboration with haulers and materials collection and processing facilities. S Y LOW
A2.b In cooperation with partner agencies, develop tracking tools to measure and assess source reduction. M MED
BInitiative: Ensure Sustainable Funding and Alignment of Incentives with Program
Goals
B1Annually review program expenditures and revenues for Countywide programs to ensure efficiencies and
sustainable funding. S LOW MED
B2Evaluate and modify, if needed, existing revenue streams such as the Countywide Solid Waste Management Fee,
to mitigate funding lost from waste reduction efforts, and align incentives with waste reduction goals. M, L Y MED
B2.a Identify funding mechanisms/sources for current programs, and estimate future revenues from those sources.S Y MED
B2.b
If revenues are projected to decline and programs cannot be realigned to mitigate this impact, identify options toaugment revenue streams or accomplish the goals of the programs through other mechanisms, in order to ensureadequate funding is available to carry out programs and policies. S Y MED
B3Identify options for program funding adjustments that incentivize recycling and fund diversion programs, in
compliance with Prop 218 and Prop 26, as applicable. S Y Y Y LOW
B4Explore grant funding and loans to augment program funding, identify jurisdictions, agencies and non-profits to
partner with on grant applications for regional programs and efforts to increase opportunities to obtain funding.S,M Y MED
B5Advocate for EPR to reduce County costs for operating collection programs at the Regional/Countywide level
targeting “take back” materials such as paint, pharmaceuticals, carpet, furniture, and mattresses. M Y MED
B5.aRealize savings from program efficiencies and efforts such as extended producer responsibility to ensuresustainable program funding. L LOW
Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure
AInitiative: Develop Conversion Technologies and Integrated Materials Recovery
Facilities
A1
Work with State and regional agencies, such as CalRecycle, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the
South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), to streamline the permitting process for essential waste
management facilities that are environmentally sound and technically feasible, including conversion technologies,
material recovery facilities (MRFs), C&D processing facilities, transfer stations, etc. at the regional and State level.M Y Y MED
A2Continue to sponsor and support legislation to encourage the environmentally sound development of conversion
technologies and build a coalition of organizations to do so. S LOW MED
A3Evaluate options to establish incentives in order to level the cost differential between conversion technology
facilities and landfills, or otherwise incentivize waste haulers to direct waste to such facilities. S, M Y LOW
A4
Increase awareness of the www.SoCalConversion.org website as a one-stop portal for information regarding local
project development, local ordinances, permitting processes, and general information and resources related to
conversion technology development. S LOW
APPENDIX C
CostsStakeholders*
Regional/CountywidePolicy & Program Options
Tim
eFra
me
Res
iden
t
Busines
s
Oth
erPub
licAge
ncy*
*
Was
teHau
ler/
Ope
rato
r
Start-
upco
st
Annua
l cos
ts
B Initiative: Organics Processing Infrastructure
B1Evaluate opportunities to encourage the development of regional organics diversion facilities, including
composting, anaerobic digestion, and chipping/grinding operations. S LOW MED
B1.bExplore opportunities for co-digestion of source-separated commercial organics at wastewater treatment plantswith excess digester capacity. S Y Y Y LOW
C Initiative: Local Green Business & Market Development
C1Work with partner cities in the County Recycling Market Development Zone (RMDZ) to encourage new green
businesses and remanufacturing facilities to locate in Los Angeles County. M Y Y LOW
C2 Continue to seek opportunities to expand the RMDZ to include additional interested cities in Los Angeles County.M Y LOW
D Initiative: Resource Recovery Centers and “Re-stores”
D1
Partner with the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County and municipalities in the County to facilitate the
development of Resource Recovery Centers, as described in the Priority Issues section, at all publically-owned
transfer stations and landfills. L Y Y MED
E Initiative: Emergency Management – Debris Management Plan
E1Update County’s Debris Management Plan to maximize diversion of materials following emergencies and
disasters. S LOW
E1.aInclude a list of as-needed emergency debris removal service contracts for handling disaster debris generated inthe County Unincorporated Communities and contract Cities. S Y Y Y LOW
E1.b Identify temporary storage areas for interim stockpiling of disaster debris for recycling. S Y Y LOW
E1.c Update the list of recycling and disposal facilities for managing disaster debris. S Y LOW
E1.dEnsure debris management practices include good-faith efforts to source separate, reuse and recycle materials tothe extent feasible. S LOW
E1.e Clarify lines of responsibility for various agencies. S Y LOW
Strategy 4: Outreach and EducationA Initiative: Communication Action Plan
A1Develop an outline for a broad communication plan, promoting the Four R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink) to
inspire behavioral change in residents and businesses. S MED MED
A1.a Include face-to-face and mass media communication as part of the plan. S MED MED
A1.bBrand the campaign slogan (e.g. “Don’t Waste Your Waste”) and encourage cities to adopt and include in theirwebsites as a consistent slogan. S Y LOW
A1.cEstablish partnerships to build on and promote other sustainability programs, and partner with other jurisdictions oragencies, as appropriate, to leverage resources and amplify the message of sustainability. S LOW MED
B Initiative: Stakeholder Engagement & Empowerment
B1Partner with universities and community colleges in the County to establish green workforce training programs
and assist with data mining. M Y MED
B2Expand the Generation Earth Battle of the School program and encourage all schools serving the County
Unincorporated Communities to participate. M Y MED
*Public Works will be the lead agency with support from the Working Group
**Other Public Agency refers to cities, Sanitation Districts, Solid Waste Management Task Force, water agencies, etc.
2-6 yrs.
Capital Cost
Annual Cost
Time Frame 6+ yrs.
Short Term (S) Mid Term (M) Long Term (L)
Low Med High
<500K 500K-5mil >5mil
<100K 100K-1mil >1mil
< 2 yrs.
APPENDIX C
Stakeholders* Cost
County OperationsPolicy & Program Options
Tim
eFra
me
Res
iden
t
Busines
s
Oth
erPub
licAge
ncy*
*
Was
teHau
ler/
Ope
rato
r
Start-
upco
st
Annua
l cos
ts
Strategy 1: Quality Programs and ServicesA Initiative: Institutionalize Waste Prevention and Source Reduction
A1Identify areas of excess waste at County facilities and operations and create source reduction policies within the
framework of the County’s budget. S LOW
A2 Develop templates for programs and policies and implement them at County facilities and operations. S LOW MED
A3Provide technical assistance, training, financing, and other resources for County Departments to ensure their
success S LOW LOW
A4 Evaluate County purchasing practices: S LOW
A4.a
Find ways to save money and reduce the purchase of excess food, paper, and other supplies that may be wastedand disposed of at landfills. Provide a web-based inter-department materials exchange for office supplies andequipment. Remove barriers to donating unwanted or excess materials. M Y LOW
A4.b
Review and make enhancements to the County’s Green Purchasing Policy to purchase products that arerecyclable, compostable, reusable, repairable, and locally manufactured or grown. Publish a list of products thatmeet these standards. S
A4.cIdentify opportunities for Countywide purchasing initiatives for recyclable or compostable service ware (or otheritems that may be more expensive than the hard to recycle items). S Y Y LOW
A5Establish a Paperless Office Initiative at County facilities where feasible, incorporating e-communication as much
as possible. M LOW LOW
A6 Explore and, if feasible, develop and implement more aggressive reuse programs. S M L
A6.aConsider policies to discourage single-use water bottles in favor of reusable water bottles; Incorporate hydrationstations at County facilities to encourage employees and visitors to bring reusable water containers. M MED LOW
A6.bIncorporate bulk dispensers at County facilities with cafeterias for commonly purchased items such as milk, soda,juice, and condiments to eliminate waste of individual packaged items. M MED LOW
A6.cOrganize a once a month “swap yours for mine” event for employees to bring items that they would like to swapwith other employees or donate. S LOW LOW
A6.d Suggest replacement systems for reducing certain materials (e.g. tablets to facilitate a paperless office). M MED LOW
B Initiative: Advocate for Extended Producer and Manufacturer Responsibility
B1Incentivize EPR, such as reduced packaging, in County procurement and contracts, giving consideration to
vendors who utilize EPR. S Y LOW
C Initiative: Make Sustainability Easy and Discourage "Trashing"
C1
Provide for recycling at public venues, wherever feasible and funded, such as beaches, libraries, hospitals, and
parks and internal County functions and employee events; provide more public recycling receptacles placed
adjacent to public trash receptacles. M Y Y Y Y HIGH MED
C2 Provide waste reduction technical assistance to large County venues and events. S LOW MED
C3 Enhance the County Recycling Coordinator program and develop standardized reuse and recycling processes.S LOW
D Initiative: Recover Organics, including Food Waste, to the Highest and Best Uses
D1Explore and implement, if feasible and funded by the Board through a department’s annual budget appropriations,
food waste/organics collection, food drops, and composting programs at specific County facilities.M Y Y MED MED
D1.a Identify largest generators of food and green waste among County facilities. S LOW
D1.b Create a pilot program to be a model program that would be implemented at other County facilities. M Y HIGH MED
D2Encourage and incentivize organics collection or onsite management at venues with cafeterias such as schools,
hospitals, and detention centers. L Y Y Y LOW MED
D3Research the feasibility of a mobile organics collection system for specific events like concerts and large picnic
events. M Y Y Y LOW
E Initiative: Maximize diversion of Construction and Demolition (C&D) DebrisE1 Revise the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Recycling and Reuse Ordinance to: S Y Y Y Y LOW MED
E1.aMatch new requirements established by the County’s Green Building Ordinance and State Green Building Code andincorporate more green building standards. S LOW
E1.bIncrease the diversion requirement to 70 percent for mixed C&D, 100 percent for all asphalt and concrete,unpainted wood, glass, sediment, and green waste. S LOW
E1.c Include standards for County facilities and projects. S LOW
E2Require maintenance contracts to increase longevity of materials, such as carpet, upholstery and furniture used at
County facilities. M Y MED LOW
E3
Provide incentives for green buildings, and update the County green building policy to provide incentives for use
of products that are more durable, have a longer lifespan, require no additional finishing on-site, have less
frequent maintenance and repair cycles, and give credits for products made from recycled content.M Y Y LOW MED
Strategy 2: Measuring ResultsA Initiative: Waste Sector Assessment
A1Develop a methodology, schedule, and budget to conduct waste generation and disposal surveys at County
operations. S LOW
A2Develop metrics for the movement of waste through County operations, and model the system for the purpose of
assessing how new programs could affect the flow of waste through the system. M MED MED
BInitiative: Evaluate and Measure the Success of Existing Programs and Consider New
Programs
B1Create a framework to monitor and measure the success of waste reduction programs targeted at County
facilities. S LOW
B2 Establish benchmarks tied to waste reduction goals – disposal, recycling, other diversion. S LOW
B2.aLook into ways to get more data for recycling and waste reduction such as collaboration with haulers and materialscollection and processing facilities. S Y LOW
B2.b Develop a tracking tool to measure and assess source reduction. M MED
B3 Incorporate sustainability practices and measurement in future County contracts. S, M MED
CInitiative: Ensure Sustainable Funding and Alignment of Incentives with Program
Goals
C1
Review and revise County contracts, such as waste collection franchises, Garbage Disposal Districts, and facility
permits to create incentives to reduce waste, such as requiring green waste diversion in landscaping and tree
trimming contracts. L Y MED
C2 Combine or consolidate shared services and logistics across County departments to reduce operational costs.S LOW
C3
Involve key County departments including the Chief Executive Office, Public Works, Internal Services and other
affected department(s) to identify County funding options during the budget cycle to implement County facility
initiatives. S LOW
C4
Explore incentivizing departments to create budgetary savings in solid waste management that, with CEO
concurrence and Board approval, could be redirected to a department’s operating budget for main mission
services and programs. M MED
Strategy 3: Facilities and Infrastructure
AInitiative: Develop Conversion Technologies and Integrated Materials Recovery
Facilities
A1Develop educational pilot projects, as funding is identified, at County facilities to demonstrate the benefits and
safety of conversion technologies. L HIGH LOW
APPENDIX C
Stakeholders* Cost
County OperationsPolicy & Program Options
Tim
eFra
me
Res
iden
t
Busines
s
Oth
erPub
licAge
ncy*
*
Was
teHau
ler/
Ope
rato
r
Start-
upco
st
Annua
l cos
ts
A2Develop guidelines for utilizing byproducts generated through alternative technology facilities for beneficial
purposes at County facilities and in County projects. S LOW
B Initiative: Organics Processing Infrastructure
B1Establish guidelines and enable County facilities that are large-quantity food waste generators to do their own
composting where feasible. L MED
B1.a Create a list of County facilities that generate large amounts of food or green waste. S LOW
B1.b
Identify at least two micro-composter pilot project opportunities, including required funding, at County facilities thatwould foster interdepartmental collaboration and help meet the solid waste management needs of one or morelarge County departments. M LOW
B1.c Develop guidelines for utilizing locally-produced compost and mulch in County projects and at County facilities. M LOW
B1.d Investigate sites along with cost and permitting details to construct a County anaerobic digestion facility. M MED
C Initiative: Local Green Business & Market Development
C1Promote the use of recycled materials (e.g. glass, compost) generated from County operations at County facilities
wherever feasible. S MED
C2 Determine how to incentivize the use of recycled products or re-use for County operations. S Y LOW
Strategy 4: Outreach and EducationA Initiative: Stakeholder Engagement & Empowerment
A1 Incorporate incentives, awards, contests, etc. to encourage employee participation in sustainability programs.M Y LOW
A2Create an interactive website with a forum for Departments to report their individual sustainability projects or
personal waste reduction efforts, including budgetary savings and efficiencies. M Y LOW
B Initiative: Leadership in Sustainability
C1Work with County Departments to implement sustainable practices, where fiscally feasible, based on feedback
from waste surveys. M HIGH
C2Encourage innovation by establishing a fund for composting projects or facilities to be developed by County
departments or in consultation with private operators. S Y Y LOW
C3 Provide training for staff in advance of any new initiative impacting County-owned or operated facilities. S MED MED
C4
Establish an internal Sustainability Ambassador program for County employees to be responsible for monitoring
recycling and composting bins in their designated work area and provide information on upcoming sustainability
training available to County staff. S MED MED
C4.aEncourage recycling coordinators from each Department to meet routinely to share ideas, coordinate efforts, andprovide progress reports. S LOW MED
C4.bAssign the Internal Services Department or a partner department to oversee waste reduction for Departmentswithout facilities staff. S MED MED
C5Apply for a Productivity Investment Fund grant (or similar grant) to implement a pilot program within the County
family to fully implement the Roadmap recommendations. S LOW
*Public Works will be the lead agency with support from the Working Group
**Other Public Agency refers to cities, Sanitation Districts, Solid Waste Management Task Force, water agencies, etc.
Capital Cost
Annual Cost
6+ yrs.
Short Term (S) Mid Term (M) Long Term (L)
Time Frame
Low Med High
<500K 500K-5mil >5mil
<100K 100K-1mil >1mil
< 2 yrs. 2-6 yrs.